B a r e l y Legal
by SorasKey
Summary: ..::They say Radiant Garden is the perfect place for young adults to find their place in society, succeed in their careers, and find love... Whoever said that must never have met Namine::..::RokuNami::..
1. July 22nd

_B a r e l y_**Legal**

"Can I help you?"

"Yes, I would like a short French vanilla latte, a tall mocha latte, and..umm.." _'Think, Namine, think…it was something with white mocha..and 7..and no mocha? No, that's not it..'_

"Miss?" an irritated voice interrupted me. "Anything else? You're holding up the line." I turned to confirm the clerk's accusation before stuttering an apology, followed by the remainder of the order.

"Uh, yes, I also want a Venti 7 Pump White Mocha no Whip White Mocha. I think. And a Grande Strawberry & Cream Frappuccino blended cream." Surprisingly, I remembered that last one. Maybe because the person that wanted it left me a note as opposed to yelling at me.

After waiting for what felt like an eternity, I was handed a container with the four coffees and continued on my way to work. Today was my first official day. I went in last night to check out the place and was immediately bombarded with orders in addition to my new nickname, "Coffee Girl". Not how I planned on being remembered there.

But I shouldn't complain since my roommate was nice enough to hook me up with this job. We'd been best friends since our freshman year of high school. Just this past spring I'd graduated from Twilight Town University. It's late July now. She, on the other hand, did not go to college. See, her dad owns practically everything in this city, so no worries for Kairi Sanada. Oh, that sounds rude doesn't it? Don't get me wrong, she really is a great person.

As I stood waiting for a cab, thoughts of Kairi made me look down at my outfit. I denied her her favorite past time this morning, picking out my clothes. I wanted to prove that looks weren't everything and I could get through this job without looking like a model. I was just an assistant after all…to the best art designer in Radiant Garden. Yea, I was nervous. So what? It's kinda hard not to be. Anyways, I decided to look very casual, though I couldn't be too casual since Kairi stocks my closet. Along with my tan messenger bag covered in pins, I was wearing a pair of brown, green, and tan Bermudas from Aeropostale, an off white tank top from Abercrombie & Fitch, my favorite pair of black converse, brown and tan Juicy hair bands around my wrist (just in case I needed them later), and a feather and peace sign necklace to top off the look. The necklace was Kairi's idea actually. Oh, and my silver heart necklace remained around my neck like it had for a very long time. My father gave it to me when I was little, and I've worn it ever since, no matter how childish that seems.

"..-Radiant Studios." I finished off the address to the cab driver. I must've zoned out for a bit. Now I looked out the window of the cab to stare at random passerby. Everyone looked so busy with their suits and hair done up. Off to impress someone with their looks and money. It doesn't make sense. That shouldn't matter. You shouldn't judge someone for what car they drive or where they shop. I'm trying to prove that to Kairi, but she can be so air headed sometimes. Maybe I can change a few minds at my new job.

**~*~**

…So much for that. These people are crazy! Everyone looked like they either just walked off the runway or out of a magazine. And that was just in the lobby as I entered the building.

I immediately recognized my boss giving orders to some other employees. She had short brown hair with red high lights and dark brown eyes. She was wearing a grey plunging v-neck baby doll dress by Roberto Cavalli with black pantyhose underneath. Jimmy Choo shoes adorned her small feet. It disgusts me how much I actually know about fashion, thanks to Kairi.

"Coffee girl!" Her shrill voice poked into my day dream state and I rushed over, coffees in hand. I guess I rushed a little too quickly because I nearly spilled them all, but I recovered and handed my boss her drink.

I watched her take one sip out of it before turning her head to glare at me. "I tell you one thing to do, coffee girl, and you mess it up! I asked for 6 pumps, not 7! You stupid, stupid girl. Get out of my sight before I fire you."

I obliged and walked off a good distance from her towards the set of the shoot. A young woman appearing to be a little older than me approached. Her dark brown hair was pulled back in a long braid and had warm green eyes. She was wearing a pink halter top and dark skinny jeans with pink heels.

"Hello. I'm Aerith. You're Jessica's new assistant, aren't you?"

I looked up to see she was actually smiling. "Yea, that would be me. My name is Namine, and this must be yours." I hander her her strawberry Frappuccino. Or whatever it really was.

"Thanks, I would get my own, but I'm lucky if I get here on time. I'm the lighting director so I'm pretty busy with things on set all the time. And don't worry, Jess isn't always like that. You'll get used to her random bitch fits." Aerith smiled again before walking off.

I took this as a chance to sip on my French vanilla latte and take in my surroundings some more. The room itself was all black with random sets scattered about. The one currently being used was all white. Near the set there chairs lined up, and a table in the back displayed an array of untouched food. No wonder everyone was so skinny. Along one wall was a door leading to a hallway with dressing rooms, make-up rooms, and offices. There were more floors too, but I basically worked on the first floor. That's where most things went down anyways. It reminded me of how sets for TV shows are shown within the TV show itself.

"Is that mine?" I realized I was off in my own little world again and came face-to-face with another blonde. I came up to about his shoulder. He was very tan and in great shape. He was wearing a white v-neck t-shirt and dark jeans accompanied with black and red shoes. A camera was hanging around his neck as well. _'I guess he's one of the photographers then.'_ But what really caught my attention were his eyes; an innocent shade of light blue, so deep. I blushed like a fool when I realized how close we were. "Oh, great. Jess hired a deaf person, didn't she? Hello?" The young man snapped his fingers in my face.

"Huh? Oh sorry. If this mocha latte is for you, then yes." I handed the drink over to him before he rudely began walking away. As soon as my eyes were free from his glare I regained my composure. "You're welcome. Oh, and that deaf comment was uncalled for."

I saw him turn his head slightly. "Whatever, coffee girl."

"The name's Namine!" I shouted after him.

'_What a rude little…calm down, Namine…it was just a guy. No need to get worked up over their natural stupidity. He's probably just full of himself anyways.' _He must've really gotten to me, because he was stuck in the back of my mind throughout the entire day. And it wasn't 'cause I was attracted to him! Way too cliché. That and he continued pestering me with stupid comments and calling me 'coffee girl'. Jessica continued to boss me around, but I guess that was her job. And Aerith would smile at me every once in a while when we were both not doing anything. Which was barely ever. And I spent my half-hour lunch break catching up on morning work, which consisted of more favors for Jessica. And I only had time to grab a granola bar off of the lunch table before my 'break' was over. Let's just say I was over-relieved when I could go home.

**~*~**

"Kairi! I'm home!" I shouted as I entered the huge apartment Kairi and I shared. No answer. Maybe she's not home.

I walked straight in and up the spiral staircase to the loft and into my bedroom. I threw my bag down and collapsed on my bed.

I must've fallen asleep because the next thing I knew I was being shaken awake by a dress-clad redhead.

"…ehh….hey Kairi.." I mumbled as I sat up and rubbed my eyes and attempted to fix my hair.

"Namine! I have an important question for you!" She was now pacing in front of my bed with a worried look on her face.

"What?"

"Do I look ok?" I examined what she was wearing, assuming she meant her outfit. She was wearing a strapless gray dress with a million little red and pink polka dots on it from American Eagle (yea, I could tell) and brown heeled sandals. Her was down and straightened. She looked pretty, as usual. I have no idea why she was asking me.

"You look fine, Kai. Stop worrying." She frowned at this.

"I mean my hair! I got brown low lights and I think Yuki put too much on this side." She gestured to her right. To me it looked exactly the same as it always did, but this was Kairi we were dealing with.

"I think it looks good. The brown really goes nice with the red." What else could I say?

"Really?"

"Yes, really."

"Ok, well I have to get going. I've got a date." She smiled and began walking to the door.

Kairi was always going out on dates so I wasn't really surprised. "Who this time?"

"Um…I can't remember his name. Some guy with silver hair. He seemed desperate." And with that she winked and left the room.

"Yea, my day was crappy, thanks for asking. My boss insulted my outfit so you'll have to find me one for tomorrow…Oh, and this blonde guy kept bothering me. And I didn't eat lunch…Glad we could talk." I said all this to no one. Kairi was a great friend and listened to me…just not on date nights. I could roll with that, but it got annoying sometimes. Especially days like this where I could really use someone to be there for me.

I looked around my room, not wanting to move. My bed where I was laying was in the far left corner. I ran my hand over the light blue bed spread beneath me as I stared blankly at my light green walls. There was a window on the far wall that had matching blue curtains. The dark hardwood floor had a light green rug in the middle. My white wooden desk was on the wall opposite me with my laptop sitting on top of some papers. I looked at my white bookshelf and closet then back to the other side of the room with the white entertainment stand where my TV and stereo were, next to that was a door leading to an adjoining bathroom. It was fairly plain in comparison to Kairi's. Oh and I had a nightstand with a matching blue lamp on it and a giant mirror near my bed.

About ten minutes passed before I climbed out of bed, put on gray sweats and a white cami, and headed downstairs to get some food.

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Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. yepp...that was already obvious.

Well..................how was it? I couldn't have done this without the help of my friend/co-writer (**GoldenSnitch07**)! We vowed to start a joint fanfiction once we started school and here it is. I wrote it and then my lovely co-writer edited it and fixed my numerous errors. She is amazing for putting up with my sucky writing skills and constant harrassing for editing on time. Oh, and she is beast. Thanks! :)

And thanks **startscribbling12** for being so supportive! I was inspired by your style and so this is kinda sorta mostly based off your stories. But they're older! haha :)

Oh, and Namine works for a photography company that is hired to do various ads in magazines, billboards, etc. It's not very realistic, but fanfictions don't really have to be so..oh well.

JUST NOTICED NAMINE'S NAME HAS NO ACCENT ONCE PUT ON FANFICTION. :(

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_Please review. No flames please :)_


	2. July 23rd

_B a r e l y_ **Legal **

He makes me so angry. If I could punch him in the face I would.

"Coffee girl!" Speak of the devil.

I took a deep breath before turning to face him. "What? And for the millionth time, my name is Naminé, you freak."

"That wasn't very nice, _Naminé_." The way he pronounced it perfectly just exasperated me. At this point, I rather him mess it up like everyone else. That way I wouldn't feel quite as awkward as I did now. But that might be because he took another step closer so he was towering over poor little me. This guy seriously needs to learn some manners.

"What did you want?" I asked, trying to glare at him, but failing. I could feel my face getting red already. How embarrassing.

"Where's my bag?"

"Lost your man purse, have you?" I replied. I was just too clever sometimes. Okay, not really, but it bothered him, so I guess I got the job done.

"_No_. My _men's_ messenger bag. It's a beige color. It has my notes from yesterday in it. Which is basically everything I need to shoot anything today."

"That's not my problem, Roxas." I learned his name from Aerith during my freakishly short lunch break yesterday. "I don't work for you." And with that I turned around, planning on making a quick getaway.

But since I'm me, I couldn't do that. He immediately grabbed my wrist and turned me back around. He held it up as if seeing this would cause me to automatically listen to him.

He flashed me his evil smile that seemed to say he had won. "Oh, but that's what you think. You may work for Jessica, but I can still get you fired. See here, she loves me. I'm her absolute favorite photographer. Not to mention, I'm drop dead sexy." He smirked at this as I rolled my eyes. "So if I happen to say to her that I don't think you're right for this company or that you're not doing your job, then you're as good as gone. Got it memorized?" A red-haired young man that was passing by shouted something about 'taking his lines' at this.

"Yea, yea, whatever." Trying to salvage my dignity, I rolled my eyes and twisted my wrist around to escape his grasp. '_Who does he think he is for saying that? There's no way he has the right to say that to me. Right?_'

I ended up walking over to the food table. I had visions of an older, heavier me sitting in therapy complaining about this dumb job and that snobby brat. He was going to destroy my figure. But before I could grab a delicious looking crepe, I noticed something beige sticking out from under the table. I bent down to investigate and discovered Roxas' man purse. He must've left it over here, and it got kicked under the table. I picked it up and slung it over my shoulder. It was actually kind of heavy.

As I was walking over to Roxas, I realized he was busy taking pictures of the models on set. One was a short blonde girl and the other was a tall blonde guy. ..So many blondes… Anyways, they were posing in a seductive manner, which made me blush even more. And talking to Roxas this moment would be awkward. Oh, well, not like I could embarrass myself anymore than I already had.

But since I'm a nice person and I really don't want to get fired I decided to wait till they took a break. Jessica was up a few floors in a meeting about something or other and I was told to wait down here. So I was free for now.

I spaced out again as usual and was awakened by Roxas snapping his fingers in my face.

"Oh!" He looked down at his bag on my shoulder. "This is yours. It was over by the food table." I shoved the bag into his empty hands.

I was once again walking away from Roxas and towards Jessica, whom was just walking out of the nearby elevator.

"Thanks, Naminé." '_Am_ _I hearing things? Did Roxas just say something nice? To me_?' I smiled to myself and continued on my way towards my boss. In all her bright yellow dress glory. On second thought, I will never understand fashion.

Speaking of fashion, Kairi picked out my outfit today. It consisted of a long sleeve white shirt covered with a black and dark gray striped, sleeveless, open vest from Charlotte Russe. It flowed down over my hips. I also wore dark skinny jeans and black and dark brown gladiator sandals from American Eagle. My usual heart necklace and a black beaded necklace hung around my neck and a white slouch beanie rested atop my head. I just left my naturally straight hair be and used a minimal amount of plain make-up.

Jessica must've approved because she looked me up and down this morning and said nothing.

I went on with my usual work of doing things for Jessica before I was free to go home. Today was actually pretty good despite the whole Roxas being rude thing. But I have to overlook that since he's always a jerk. Two days down, the rest of my life to go…

**~*~**

When I walked into the apartment Kairi and I shared, I noticed her sitting at the bar hunched over something on the counter. I walked in and set my things down before going over to my red-haired friend.

"What's going on?" I peered over her shoulder and saw she was looking at a cookbook. And let me tell you, Kairi does _not _cook.

"Well this guy asked me out on a date today and I got talking and I'm pretty sure I invited him over for dinner." She explained in a hurried voice. "And I don't know what to do!"

Kairi must've gotten over that guy from last night if she was already on another. But I suppose this was normal procedure in her life.

"Do you want me to help you?"

"Yes!" She jumped up from off the stool she was on and clung to me like a child. "Yes, yes, yes. Thank you, Naminé!" She squeezed me again before running upstairs and into her room.

I guess I just offered to make the food for her date. Well, that's awesome. Sometimes she made me feel like a single mother. I just sighed and looked at the cookbook. She was looking at some kind of grilled chicken. I made my way around the counter and got out a bag of chicken to thaw some rice out of the cupboard. This is going to be fun…

**~*~**

Rice, two pieces of deliciously seasoned grilled chicken, and some green beans sat artfully on a plate. An identical one sat across from it on the dinner table.

'_I'm a genius._' I grabbed a third plate and headed upstairs. Once in my bedroom I quickly changed into sweats and sat on my bed with my food. I turned the TV on and began watching whatever show came on.

About ten minutes later Kairi walked in.

"He's going to be here soon." She stated simply while looking at herself in my full-length mirror. She was wearing faded skinny jeans and a yellow and white striped, strapless top. Both were from Abercrombie. Her hair was straightened even more again today. She was so pretty. As usual.

"May I ask as to who's coming?" I sat up from my previous position.

"Oh. This guy's name is Hayner. He seemed kind of crazy. But he was cute, so it's okay." She's really going to get herself into trouble one of these days.

"That's cool. Well good luck. I'll just be up here for the night." She came over and gave me a quick hug then left the room.

I looked down at my food and sighed. Suddenly she came back into my room. "Oh and thanks for doing all of this, Naminé. I mean cooking. You're so sweet to me." She smiled before leaving again. I murmured a 'you're welcome' as the door shut.

**~*~**

I looked back at myself in the mirror in the adjoining bathroom to my room. I was so average. My light blonde hair was pulled up in a messy ponytail, I really need a new hairstyle. My light blue eyes reminded me of Kairi's. We weren't related, but our faces resembled each other's, hers being more pretty of course. I pulled my fluffy white robe closer to me before letting it drop. I was so skinny. I looked so boney and sickly, I hate it. I poured a packet of scented bath beads in the tub and sat in the warm, bubbly water. I really needed this after a day like today. My eyes slowly began to close…

"Naminé!" Kairi's voice interrupted my peace and quiet. I thought she was on a date. I glanced at the clock and saw that three hours past since she went downstairs. Well never mind, I guess it's over by now.

"Just a sec!" I shouted back before finishing bathing and drying off. I threw my awaiting sweats on before leaving the bathroom and going downstairs.

I noticed Kairi was laying face down on the couch, crying. At least I think she was crying. I sat on the edge of the couch and began rubbing her back.

"What's wrong, Kai?" I asked.

"H-Hayner. H-He is such a jerk!" She mumbled through the pillow she was resting on. This also happened rather frequently. Some guy would come into her life then leave without her say-so.

"It's okay, honey. Now explain to me what happened." I helped her sit up so she was facing me. Her make-up was now running and her hair was all frizzy. She looked at me for a few seconds before hugging me and leaning on my shoulder. Supportive best friend Naminé to the rescue.

"W-Well, he came and we ate dinner, it was great by the way." I smiled at this. "And then we sat on the couch and started making out." I nodded as if I understood what was going on. "Then, then he just stopped and looked at me as if I were ugly or something and left." Despite that great explanation, I still don't know what happened.

We just sat like that for a while and I let Kairi cry out all the tears she had in her body before telling her to go take a shower and sleep. It would get her mind off of Hayner.

"Okay, Nam. Thanks." She gave me yet another hug before going off to her room.

Once she was in her room I walked up to mine once more imagining what it would be like if I could talk to Kairi about things like that. I brought down the dishes from earlier and washed them all. Then I went and brushed my now extremely knotty hair. I was very much exhausted. As soon as I collapsed on my soft bed I crashed. I'm sure of it.

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Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts...or anything else I snatched to use in the story. Like brands and such.

Chapter 2!!!! Did you like it? I hope so. I had fun writing it with **GoldenSnitch07**.

So I was really happy with all the feedback I got on this (in reviews -though I prefer more than just 3-, in comments on facebook and just hits in general). I'm beginning to think this story had great potential for being popular on fanfiction. But only if people leave a review!

In order to write chapter 4, I need people to **_vote in my poll_**! Please!

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_Please review. No flames please. :)_


	3. August 7th

_B a r e l y_ **Legal**

It's been a couple of weeks since the man purse incident and things have carried on as usual. Roxas has improved just slightly. Maybe it's because he can't pick on my clothes since Kairi's been choosing them again. Today I was dressed in a light green tank top, white shirt, and skirt from Abercrombie. The white shirt was see-through and the sleeves went to my elbow and the neck line was a deep V and had a thick hem. The skirt was green with a dark green, red, and white plaid design on it. And gray, button UGGS adorned my feet. I also wore a white Marc Jacobs ring on my left ring finger and my usual heart necklace.

"Taxi!" I yelled while trying to hail a cab with my arms full of the usual coffees and clothing bags. It was supposedly for the photo shoot today, but I really think it's for Jessica because she was too lazy to pick up her own clothing from the stores and had me do it. "Taxi!" I yelled again as I watched another yellow car speed past. This definitely wasn't working.

Suddenly I heard a sharp whistle and a cab was pulling up to the curb by me. I looked over to see who it was that was hailing a cab for me. Well, I assume it's for me.

I once again came face to face with a smirking Roxas. "Umm… thanks." I murmured. He just stood there with that stupid crooked grin on his face and opened the door for me and helped me in before sliding in beside me. I opened my mouth to speak but nothing came out. I didn't really have anything to say. '_This cab is so crowded with all this stuff. And Roxas. I hate taking cabs to work. I normally just walk, but with all this I couldn't. Darn it…Here comes an awkward ride.'_

"Well aren't you going to ask me what I'm even doing?" Roxas looked at me, smirk ever so present.

"I was. But maybe it's better I take it as a nice gesture." I smiled back at him. He stopped smirking and just stared. "Okay, why did you hail me a cab?"

"Thanks for asking. I was walking to work and I happened to see some pathetic girl struggling with some stuff and yelling something practically inaudible. I was going to just ignore her until I realized it was you." I narrowed my eyes at this. "I figured you were trying to get a cab. Epic fail, by the way." Insert eye roll… now. "So I came over and helped since I'm a great person and all."

"Oh thank you." I hope the sarcasm hurt. I just ignored him for the next couple of minutes till we arrived at Radiant Studios. He actually helped me with all of the bags and held the door open for me on our way in. He even paid the taxi fair. Something was up for sure.

Once inside I was ordered to put all of the bags in Jessica's office and continued to pass out the coffees I was also balancing in my hands.

When I handed Roxas his he just continued to smile. '_What is up with him today?_'

**~*~**

I found myself sitting in a small café across from the studio. It was appropriately called 'Garden Café'. It was mostly light green and pink which created a relaxing ambiance. I sipped on my lemonade and stared at my half eaten salad. Today I actually had my full lunch break. It wasn't much, but I could handle it.

"So I have a question for you." My mood immediately plummeted. I looked up to see Roxas staring at me intently. He must've seen me through the window and came over to sit across from me, leaning on the table.

"What?" Maybe I was about to find out why he was acting strangely today.

"A group of us are going out tonight and Aerith wanted me to ask you to come along. And don't worry, Jessica isn't coming." He winked for a reason I would probably never know.

"Aerith asked you to, eh? Then why didn't she just ask me herself?" I questioned him.

"…Truthfully, she wants me to start being nice to you. I guess this is supposed to help." I was taken aback by his blunt answer. He continued to stare straight into my eyes. I couldn't help but stare back at his light blue orbs. We remained this way for a few moments, not moving. Then I caught how schoolgirl-ish I was being and averted my eyes to my food and ate a little.

"It depends. Where're we going? Who's all going? And what time?" I said without looking back at him.

"Calm down, this isn't high school anymore. I have no idea where exactly we're going to go. No idea who all is going and not sure what time. I'll text you if you want," he said nonchalantly.

"Uh… I'll think about it, ok?" He nodded and we quickly exchanged numbers before I finished, paid, and we walked back over together.

I'm glad I know why he was being nice, but I really don't want to go. I'm not much of a partier. Time to consult Kairi.

**~*~**

I walked into the apartment to find Kairi lounging on the couch surrounded by shopping bags. She waved to me without looking up from the TV. I just went upstairs and changed into sweats like usual and came back downstairs to grab a granola bar to munch on and sat on a chair next to the couch.

"So I see you went shopping. What all did you get?" I questioned once a commercial came on.

"Oh, nothing special. Just a couple of dresses and some shoes." She said, gesturing to the 5 or 6 bags.

"Fun. Special occasion?" I teased.

"Actually, yes, it is. I'm going out with some friends of mine and their friends. It should be fun."

"Models?" They made up a big amount of her friends, so I asked to keep up the conversation.

"Yep. From Radiant Studios in fact."

I just nodded. Then I remembered I was asked to go out tonight too. Oh crap.

"Any chance Roxas is one of those 'friends'?"

"Maybe. Why? You like him?" I knew Kairi knew him since her dad owns Radiant Studios. Plus, she knew practically everybody worth knowing. Her exact words 'I know everyone worth knowing, Naminé'. Not that Roxas was worth knowing or anything like that.

"Gross. I was just curious since he asked me if I wanted to tag along on this outing."

"You should totally come! You can wear one of my new dresses!" She immediately began digging through her bags.

Well I can't say no now…

**~*~**

"Ow! Hot, hot!" I was almost at the point of crying. Kairi was trying to curl my hair. I thought I could trust her, but every time her phone buzzed she'd get distracted texting and burn me.

"Sorry!" She put her phone down and I immediately snatched it. "Hey!" she reached for it and I just shook my head slightly. She pouted and continued to do my hair.

About an hour later she was done and was just finishing up my make-up when my phone buzzed on my lap. I picked it up flipped it open to see the text was from Roxas.

_To: Naminé_

_From: Roxas_

_hey. so we're going to meet up in the lobby of your apartment building i guess… sometime around when it gets dark..ill txt you later_

So now I know I won't have to go very far to meet them. But I still don't know who's going or even when we're going exactly. What if Aerith doesn't show up and Kairi goes off with some guy and I get stuck with Roxas? I would die! '_Calm down, Naminé. You're really overreacting. Like, a lot. …Great, now I sound like Kairi._'

**~*~**

"Naminé, just look at yourself. You're so pretty!" Kairi was saying into my ears. I was in front of a full-length mirror with her behind me. I had my eyes closed. I imagined what Kairi looked like instead. She was wearing a pink cocktail dress that had a black belt going around the middle. It was strapless and clung to her figure at the top and then flowed out after the belt. She straightened her hair to death and wore giant hoop earrings and various bracelets. Black heels were on her feet, but they weren't too high and looked really comfortable. A white and pink clutch was sitting on my bed along with my black one. I finally opened my eyes and looked at my reflection. My hair was curled, but not too tight, and my heart necklace and black bead necklace hung around my neck. My eyes traveled down to my black and silver bracelets and my dress. It was blue and had black zebra stripes on it. A black ribbon tied around my middle. I believe Kairi said it was from Charlotte Russe. My shoes were identical to Kairi's since she bought two pairs today.

She was right, for once I looked… pretty. '_Will I be comfortable tonight? Oh, stop worrying, Naminé._'

Suddenly my phone began vibrating again. This time Roxas was calling me.

"Hello?"

"Hey. It's Roxas. We're down here waiting. You coming?" His voice came over the phone in a calm tone.

"Yea. Kai and I will be down in a couple minutes."

"Ok, see ya."

"Bye." I said before hanging up. I turned to Kairi. "You ready? They're waiting." She nodded and we grabbed our clutches before heading to the lobby arm in arm.

If Roxas keeps this being nice thing up, I may be able to survive the night. But just maybe…

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Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any other brand mentioned.

This chapter it pretty much my favorite. It's not even the most important, I just like it.

Thanks for all the feedback! I love you guys!

AND SUPER THANKS TO **GoldenSnitch07 **FOR CO-WRITING THIS WITH ME. :)

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_Please review. No flames please. :)_


	4. August 7th Evening

_B a r e l y _**Legal**

When Kairi and I exited the elevator she immediately walked over and began talking to a girl I didn't recognize. Her extreme beauty led me to assume it was one of her model friends she was talking about earlier. I walked over too, as to not be just standing there and listened to their aimless chatter

The girl Kairi was talking to had a perfect figure; tall and skinny. Yep, she was definitely a model. She was wearing a white blouse that billowed out from the sequin top and a pair of lilac colored skinny jeans. Her shoes were lilac wedges and numerous silver bangles hung on her wrists. The strangest thing I noticed about her was her hair. It went down to about her mid-back and was a bright blue color. But it appeared to be natural. This confused me so I continued looking at other people.

I noticed Roxas talking to Aerith. He was wearing a white dress shirt (sleeves rolled up all cool), that had yellow and orange pinstripes, and a yellow shirt underneath. His jeans were very dark and were set off by his bright white shoes. Something seemed different about him tonight…

Aerith was wearing a red blouse that had ruffles around the neck. She also wore dark gray short shorts that had matching suspenders, and black ballet flats. Her hair was back in its usual braid, but was tied in a red ribbon tonight.

Again I saw Roxas standing off to the side, staring at his cell phone. He was wearing a light blue Abercrombie dress shirt with gray pinstripes and the sleeves rolled up over a dark blue tee. Worn bleached jeans adorned his lower half along with his traditional red and black shoes.

Wait a second, two Roxases! Or is it Roxi? There had to be something wrong with my eyes, there couldn't be more than one Roxas. Dear God, there _can't_ be more than one Roxas. One is enough! I opened my mouth to say something, but before I could the yellow Roxas walked over to Kairi and began talking.

"Kairi, it's been ages! You look beautiful, as always." He smiled and gave Kairi a friendly hug. "And who is this lovely lady?" He shook my hand. Okay, this couldn't be Roxas.

"That's coffee girl." Blue Roxas came over, still looking at his phone. That had to be the real Roxas. But who was this other guy?

"Shut up." I glared at him before returning my attention to yellow Roxas. "My name is Naminé."

"Hello, Naminé. My name's Ventus, Ven for short." He smiled once more before going over to the blue-haired girl and putting his arm around her.

"That's Roxas' older brother. That's why they look alike. He works for Radiant Studios too." Kairi whispered in my ear. "And this is Aqua. She's one of my friends that I told you about. Rikku and Cloud couldn't make it." She gestured to the blue-haired girl. I smiled and shook her hand. This seemed a little awkward still.

"Well, everyone ready to go?" Roxas asked impatiently. He could at least show some interest, he was the one that invited me after all.

"Calm down, Roxy."

"I wish you wouldn't call me that." Roxas snapped back at his brother. He seemed upset that he was with us. Maybe that was why he was so anxious.

"So where're we headed?" Aqua spoke up once we were outside. It was still summer so the cool night air felt nice for a change.

"Well I was thinking about going to Dusk. It's this nice little place I came across one night. That, and my father owns it." Kairi suggested.

"Sounds good." Ventus agreed and he hailed a cab. "Kairi, Aqua, and I can take this one. You three are on your own. Kairi can text you the address." And with that they got into the cab and were off. Shortly thereafter I received the promised text from Kairi and told the cab driver that Roxas managed to hail in the mean time.

The cab ride wasn't as awkward as the last time with Roxas, but it was still odd since I was in the middle. I just chatted with Aerith and ignored Roxas' knee digging into my thigh the entire time.

**~*~**

Soon enough we arrived and joined the rest of the group. Kairi led us to the front of the line where we showed our IDs and went inside. It was strange doing this since I just turned 21 last fall. I was barely legal.

Once inside I got the full effect of the club. It was dark, with flashing strobes and a glowing dance floor providing the only lighting. Off to the right was a bar and on the far left was the DJ. Kairi immediately grabbed my wrist and led me out onto the dance floor. And trust me when I say, I can't dance.

"Naminé! Get into it!" Kairi shouted to me so I could hear her over the pounding music. _'I rather not, actually.' _I just swayed to the music, which probably looked like I was spazzing out, but oh well. At least I was moving. Once Ven and Aqua began grinding and Kairi found some random guy to do the same with I felt awkward and migrated over to the bar and took a seat. Aerith was nowhere to be found. My worst nightmare was unfolding before me because before I knew it, Roxas took the seat next to me.

The bartender made Roxas a White Russian and me an appletini. We sipped at them without saying anything for awhile.

"So what're you doing over here? I thought you'd be over with them." He said, nodding his head towards the dance floor.

"I could ask you the same."

"Believe it or not, I'm not a big fan of 'clubbing'." He put air quotes around the last word. This surprised me. He seemed like the wild and childish type. But that may be due to his immature behavior showed on a daily basis.

"Same here and I can't dance. I came mostly because Kairi wanted me to. And I couldn't say no to Aerith, though I can't seem to find her anywhere." I explained.

"She's probably off in some corner talking to her boyfriend on her cell. I wouldn't worry." There was an awkward pause as we both sipped on our alcohol. I was pretty sure this one wasn't going to be my last of the night. "And I'm sure you can dance." I could've sworn I caught him smiling, but I just continued to stare at my drink.

The pounding music took over our short conversation and I began feeling extremely hot in the crowded area. I let the cool glass rest in my palms and slowly drank away the awkwardness. I'm pretty sure Roxas was still there, but I just surrendered myself to my drink. This definitely wasn't in the plan, but I could control myself.

**~*~**

[_Roxas' _**POV**:]

After a while of just sitting there in not-so silence I noticed Naminé was becoming a little tipsy. I could tell she was ignoring me, but sitting right beside me kind of took away from that. No matter how much she gets to me, for a reason I'm still not sure of, I felt I should watch over her for the rest of the night. Or else Kairi would kill me.

I decided since she's clearly drunk I'd be safe to rest my hand on her back to keep her upright and keep others away. I could go without some douche bag hitting on her. '_But what would I care? I wouldn't… Of course not._'

She turned and glared at me then returned to staring off in the opposite direction. I just left my hand there and kept a straight face for the guys that thought they could talk to her. '_There I go again being protective over her… I don't know why I should even bother._'

With that last thought I downed the rest of my drink and leaned over to her ear. I was going to say something but had second thoughts and just got up and walked out into the crowd. She could protect herself. At least for a little while. I needed some air.

**~*~**

I stood out on the sidewalk enjoying the crisp, summer air. I managed this for about half a minute before all the smoke and city smog filled my nostrils. I need to get out of the city and away from Jessica and work and just enjoy myself for once. I need my old bed. I need to wake up to my mom's cooking and spend the day lounging in the sun. I need an escape. A wave of nostalgia swept over me. I really need to stop getting emotional. Is that why I'm so mean? Because I'm afraid of being weak? It's habitual; I don't think I can help it anymore. And Ven isn't assisting too much either… _'Gah…I sound like such a chickenwuss. I never thought like this until Namine got here…There you go again, Roxas, blaming all your problems on other people.'_ I shook my head to get all those thoughts out and focused once more on the random passerby and cars flying by on the street in front of me.

A sweet laughter filled my ears and I turned to see who made the sound.

It was Naminé. And she was wrapped in the arms of someone I had hoped to never see again. Seifer. Last time I saw him was our high school graduation. There was no way I would let him take Naminé. Who knew what he was planning on doing to her? Well, I knew. And that's exactly why I had to stop this. I could tell I was glaring at him and I tried moving towards him before he got too far, but for some reason I couldn't. It was like all my energy decided to leave me right this second. I watched as the two stopped and he continued to flirt with her.

I could also tell she was blushing, but it was probably from the alcohol. I hope. She was pretty smashed. That was when she looked off to the side and straight at me. She looked like she was trying to glare at me, but it couldn't hide her expression. She looked nervous and… scared. And that was a look I never wanted to see on her ever again. This was the very girl I harassed day in and day out, but as soon as I saw him touch her arm a little too hard and forced her to look back at him; I knew I had to help her.

I walked over and shoved Seifer away a little and took Naminé by the arm, keeping her partially behind me. This all happened so fast I wasn't sure what to do next.

"Hey, chickenwuss, it's been a long time." He smirked at me. I could smell the alcohol on his breath and on his clothes. I could also feel Naminé just barely trembling beside me. "I see you've got her confused for someone else. Because, you see here, she's _mine_." He pushed me a little, but I didn't move. He was clearly weakened by the drink and by seeing me of all people.

"I didn't expect to see you around once I got out of that town. And now I do. Surprisingly, it's not a very nice reunion. And this is my _girlfriend_." I have no idea what possessed me to say this, but I did. I hope Naminé wouldn't object to this and we could be on our way. I took a risk and glanced at her to see her reaction. She seemed to just go along with it. It was either her dire need to get away from Seifer or her intoxicated state, but she moved closer and gripped my hand. Tight.

"I see. But she never mentioned you. Maybe you're not right for her." He took another step closer to me. I just stood my ground.

"Since when have you ever been 'right' for anyone, Seifer? Just leave us alone." I really didn't want to make a scene and began walking away. I removed my hand from Namine's and pulled her close to me. This was some very hot water we were in and I didn't really like it. She just kept going with it, because she was drunk, and rested her head on my shoulder.

I turned my head to confirm that Seifer wasn't going to respond and saw that he was no longer standing there. I just dropped it and guided Naminé to a nearby cab and texted Kairi to tell her I was bringing her home.

**~*~**

Naminé remained quiet during the entire cab ride and most of the elevator ride. About halfway up the building she turned to me and began talking.

"What was that? I'm confused… My head hurts. Why am I with you?" She said all this in a slurred voice.

"Umm… well, you're drunk. I'm just escorting you home, coffee girl." I thought using that term would get her back to herself. It didn't.

"Oh!" She started laughing hysterically, grabbing the front of my shirt. "I never noticed how nice you were!" I held on to her arms so she wouldn't fall and just stared at the dial that said what floor we were on. "And hot too!" With this statement she flung herself into my arms and hugged me. This was awkward. I simply patted her back before the elevator doors opened and attempted to guide her to her apartment. Thank goodness Kairi and I dated before so I knew where she lived. Although that was a memory I chose to ignore at the moment.

I could tell she was getting close to just crashing completely so I picked her up bridal style and carried her up to her room. I knew it was hers because once she unlocked the door she announced this, followed by what she wanted to do with me in there that I rather not repeat. I continued up the stairs with her in tow and set her on her bed.

"Now what?!" She screamed and kicked off her shoes. My turn for the headache. "Can you unzip my dress?" She turned around and lifted up her hair. Despite my raging hormones, I'm a gentleman. At least I try to be when it comes to things like this. And I would probably kill myself if I did anything with Naminé.

"Just go to bed and be good." I said before pointing at some sweats she left on the floor and walking out the door.

I leaned on the closed door and listened to her trying to change, trying to contain laughter when she bumped into something. I wanted to make sure she was settled and asleep before I left. I wouldn't want her wondering the streets some more, now would I? Not if I had to answer to Kairi.

Once I heard silence for a good two minutes I decided to knock lightly on the door. I didn't hear anything. I figured she was done. I opened the door to see her in her sweats and all of the clothes and jewelry she wore tonight thrown randomly around her room. Her hair was messed up now and her make-up was smudged. She was lying on her bed, on top of her covers, fast asleep. I pulled up her covers and watched her. She was actually kind of cute. I shook my head to try and erase that thought forever. I gave her hand one last squeeze and left her apartment.

**~*~**

Once I got back to my apartment I immediately got in the shower in hopes of erasing all memories of tonight. Especially the ones about Naminé's petite body clinging to those blankets, or my body in the elevator. Those I could do without.

Hopefully she doesn't remember anything about tonight when she wakes up with her killer hang over tomorrow. I kind of feel bad about that, but that was her choice. She'll live. And she'll come to work Monday with that 'I-hate-Roxas-so-freaking-much' attitude she always has. Things will be back to normal. I have nothing to worry about. No feelings, no nothing… Not that there are any _feelings _anyway.

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any other copyrighted things I mentioned.

This is soo long in Word. Then my lovely co-writer (**GoldenSnitch07** - and thanks for the alchohol names - you get a cookie if you can guess who 'appletini' reminds me of) condensed it and it is freaking fabulous. Yes, freaking was necessary....So the random fluff-ish moments made me laugh. And it doesn't really make a lot of sense, but this was the most important chapter, I'd say. Roxas is so confused with life. :)

Oh, and please vote in the (new) poll! :)

_Please review. No flames please :)_


	5. August 8th

_B a r e l y _**Legal**

I woke up to find my room a complete mess and my head throbbing in pain. Not really how I wanted to start the day. As I sat up, I noticed my outfit from the previous night scattered about the room, but I couldn't remember what happened. First things first, I checked to see if I was wearing clothes and if there was anyone else in the room. I looked down to see my usual sweats clinging to my body and my sheets in disarray. I was alone. Good. Very good.

I slowly swung my feet over the side of the bed and stood up rather gingerly. My head still hurt so I had to move at an extreme pace as to not over do it and fall. That's the opposite of what I was going for.

I made my way over to the other side of the room and into my bathroom. I pulled some medicine from the cabinet after filling a small cup with water. I tipped it back, hoping it would work soon. I just stood there looking at myself in the mirror. All of the make-up from last night was smeared and my hair was all frizzy and out of control. Not to mention, I had huge bags under my eyes. I also glanced at the clock on the wall to see it was 11:00 in the morning. Considering how late I stayed up, I didn't really sleep in. I'll have to sleep all day to get rid of these bags. I pulled my hair up into a ponytail while walking out of my bathroom to my room, then into the hall on my way to Kairi's room. Maybe she could explain what I did last night. Oh, I hope I don't regret this.

I opened the door wondering if her room looked anything like mine; but it was perfectly clean. Her light pink walls were and white furniture were visible. The sitting area ahead of me was tidy, and the walk in closet to my left was propped open to expose perfectly organized clothing. I glanced at her dresser and entertainment stand as I stepped inside. My eyes flowed from there up the step leading to the area with Kairi's bed and balcony. Her hot pink sheets were pulled over her sleeping form. I took timid steps towards her as to not wake her.

"Kairi…?" I whispered and then I noticed she wasn't the only one in the bed. "Ahhh!!"

"What?!" She bolted upright and death glared at me. Thank goodness she was fully clothed, as was her… friend there. I noticed he stirred a little but remained sleeping. What a heavy sleeper. His dark chocolate spikes pertruded from the pink clad bed and a tan hand reached around to adjust the covers. I could tell he was wearing a white t-shirt and then the blanket. But I knew he was dressed since I saw no pants on the floor, just his green plaid dress shirt.

"Umm…nothing. You go back to sleep." And with that I immediately backed out of her room and back into mine and onto my awaiting bed. '_Oh my gosh… that didn't just happen. At least they were clothed...Oh gosh…I think I might throw up.' _And with that thought I laid my head on my pillow and wrapped up in my blankets and shut my eyes tight trying to remember what happened with _me _last night.

**~*~**

_I just decided to turn around and ignore Roxas for a while. Maybe he'd go away. I continued to consume my alcohol, letting my senses becoming less focused as the night went on. _

_After a while I noticed a slight pressure to my waist. It felt warm and wrapped around my torso in a protective fashion. I turned around to see who was doing this and immediately glared as my eyes connected with Roxas' before whipping myself back around. I was going to tell him off, but then I saw some creeper of a guy staring at me and let his hand stay there, hoping that guy would get the message and stop gawking. Not that there's a message or anything._

_Soon after this I felt Roxas (I knew it was him this time) come close to my ear before backing away once more. His hot breath was missed on my face as was his warm hand as he got up and walked away. That guy sometimes… ughh…_

_I just remained in my seat and got another drink. Just one more. I think. Before I knew it some other guy took Roxas' spot next to me. But this guy was definitely nothing like Roxas. He had blonde hair that stuck out from under his beanie and bright green eyes. The scar that ran between his eyes told me to not trust him, but I didn't really notice it at the time. He was wearing a black vest with a white jacket over it and baggy gray pants and combat boots. There was something wrong with this picture._

"_Hey, cutie." He slurred._

"_Hey." I mumbled._

"_What's a pretty girl like you doing here all alone?"_

"_Uhh…" Was all that came out. I felt like such an idiot._

"_Shy, huh?" He moved over a little closer._

_I just nodded my head. "My name is Naminé." Well that was a little better than 'uhh'._

"_That's a lovely name for a lovely girl. The name's Seifer. I bet I can help you with being not so shy." He whispered that last bit in my ear. I blushed at what he was referring to, at least what I thought he was referring to. "I know we just met. But, do you want to dance?"_

"_Sure." I'm not sure what caused me to say this but I did. Oh wait, yes I do, it was all those drinks._

_He took my hand a little roughly and led me out onto the dance floor. Kairi and the others were still absent. Another fast song pounded in my ears and I began dancing. I was dancing like I never have before. I was pretty good if I do say so myself. Before I knew it, Seifer was behind me and I was pretty sure we were grinding. My hand automatically went up to the back of his neck and the other dangled at my side, still holding my clutch. His hands found their way to my waist, but a little lower than I thought they should be._

_We went on like this for a while before going over to the bar. I then realized how sweaty we were. We just sat and chatted about nothing and continued drinking. _

"_Hey, wanna get outta here?" He slurred into my ear. I just nodded with a blank look on my face. _

_He once again death gripped my hand and led me outside. He just kept whispering into my ear about how pretty I was and how much I would love his place._

_I still didn't realize what he was talking about so I just laughed and kept walking and he slung his arm heavily onto my shoulders. We took a few more steps before stopping and he looked at me. He just mumbled something incoherent and I was able to smell his breath. Once smelling that I had to look away._

_And right into Roxas' eyes. He must've come out to get some air. I tried glaring at him but I couldn't hide the fact that I didn't know this guy and I wanted to get away._

"_Look at me." I heard him say and he jerked me by my arm to return my gaze to him. I frowned at this and he just glared. I wasn't sure what to do; this wasn't the Seifer I had been aimlessly chatting with moments ago. Not like he was ever who I really wanted to talk to in the first place. _

_But before I knew it Roxas came over and shoved Seifer away before I could say anything. He stood in front of me and I just trembled at the scene unfolding in front of me. _

_I was so scared; I wasn't sure what was happening. Then I heard Roxas say 'girlfriend' and he glanced at me. I wasn't sure what to do but I need to get away from this guy so I held onto Roxas' hand for dear life. It was so warm and inviting. His light grip was enough to keep me in reality. They continued to argue before Roxas just turned around and started walking off. He moved his hand to my waist and kept a firm, yet comfortable grip as we walked away. I just leaned my head on his shoulder and kept my eyes shut tight. _

_Everything that happened after that was a blur._

**~*~**

I stirred in my sleep a little bit before waking up for the second time today. It was now 4:00. Five hours of my day were gone, but I did feel better. I sat up and all the memories from last night came rushing back to me. That made me think of how did I get back here and what did Roxas do? I hate that spiky haired brat, but he had acted so nice. But then I don't remember, so who knows what really happened. That jerk. Man, I hate him.

I decided to get up and clean my room and fix myself up before going downstairs. There I found Kairi sitting on the couch wrapped in that guy's arms. Oh yea… eww…

"Morning, sleeping beauty." Kairi turned around and greeted me. I got a good look at this guy now. He had these dark blue eyes and was now wearing his green shirt and jeans. Kairi was wearing a pair of my sweatpants and a white cami.

"Oh, hi." I caught myself staring so I turned around and went to the kitchen to grab a bottle of water from the fridge that seemed to be sitting there calling for me.

"Well I better be going. It's been awesome hanging out with you, Kairi. I'll call you later." I heard the brunette say. I watched him kiss Kairi on the forehead before leaving the apartment. It was actually kind of cute. Maybe he would actually call her.

Once I was sure he left I walked over and joined Kairi on the couch.

"So who's he?" I decided to ask this instead of about myself.

She snapped out of her dream-like state and turned to face me, with her legs curled up in front of her. "His name's Sora. I met him last night at the club. He's so sweet! And kind of… I don't know, childish? But in a good way. And not to mention he's so cute!" She squealed.

"That's adorable, Kai." I smiled, knowing very well this is a temporary thing.

"And I don't think he's even a temporary thing! Like, he's amazing." Well, I guess not.

"I hope so. You deserve a guy that really likes you and treats you the way you should be treated." I encouraged her. "Plus I accidently walked in on you this morning. Sorry about that. But now that I think about it, it was kind of cute." I lied. No matter how much I loved Kairi, I couldn't picture her being this serious about a guy she just met. But if he ends up sticking around for a while, I might change my mind about him.

"Aww, thanks." She said and gave me a hug. "And what about you and Roxas? He texted me last night saying he was taking you home." She winked.

"I was actually going to ask you that same thing. I can't remember. And I know I was drunk last night. Everything I did was nothing I would normally do. Even what I _can _barely remember didn't make any sense…He's such a jerk." I rambled on and on about Roxas, watching Kairi's expression the whole time. She just had that smug, 'you-so-like-him' face on. I could just slap her.

"Well… hmm… I'm pretty sure you guys didn't do anything. I mean, he wasn't here this morning." I just rolled my eyes, trying not to vomit at the thought. "Ever thought he was being nice? He was such a sweetie when we were dating. A little held back at times, but altogether okay."

"Roxas could never be nice!" Then it hit me. "Wait a second, you two _dated_?"

"Yes. Only went on a couple dates before I realized how much he wasn't the one for me but, yea, we did." I had to let this information sink in for a little while. How come I don't remember this?

"When was this?" I finally asked.

"Oh like a year ago. It was brief and you were probably up in your room studying the entire time." That made sense. Well, I guess he's over her by now since he never mentioned it before. "It's nothing, Naminé. He likes you now anyways." I must've been making a face for her to say this.

"Okay." I decided to not argue about the last thing she said since I knew she was wrong. She had to be. "So what am going to do now at work?" I just continued milking advice out of her while I had the chance.

"Whatever you normally do. You 'hate' him, don't you?" She put air quotes around 'hate'. I ignored this as well.

"Yes."

"Then just go on as usual. And don't worry about doing anything embarrassing last night. It was probably nothing and he forgot about it." I didn't even think about that. What if I did something embarrassing? That would suck. A lot. That jerk!

"Oh gosh… okay, Kai. Thanks. And good luck with your guy. I'm going to go for a walk to clear my head." I smiled before heading upstairs to get dressed. I put on a pair of skinny jeans and a white cami and light jacket accompanied with a pair of flats. Then I went back downstairs, grabbed a bag, stuffed my keys inside, and was on my way.

**~*~**

I walked towards the park and tried to forget about all the Roxas problems that were floating around in my head. I just focused on if I needed to stop and get some groceries or what Jessica wanted me to bring in on Monday. I believe it was the usual coffees and some kind of croissant. I wasn't sure on that exactly.

I kept on walking to the park and sat down on a bench, watching people bustle around the sidewalk. That reminded me of how I wanted so badly to prove to Kairi that money wasn't everything. I could still try that but the longer I've been working for Radiant Studios the more it made me forget about that. I couldn't loose sight of who I was. And I don't even care that that was the cheesiest thing I've thought in a while.

"You're amazing, you know that?" I looked up to see a young couple walking by hand in hand. The girl blushed at her boyfriend's words and kissed him in response. It was nice to see _some_ people out there are having good romantic lives. I haven't had a boyfriend since high school. That was when I didn't have a care in the world. I just tried to balance cheerleading with my grades. That was how I met Kairi, of course. I didn't actually start to cheer till I was a freshman. All because my older sister was a senior and convinced me to give it a try. I really loved it, but once I graduated and began college my career took over my mind and I began thinking practically once more. But now that I have a semi-secure job, I can think about guys again. Too bad there are none. And Roxas definitely doesn't count.

Moving my head to the side, I caught a glimpse of golden blonde hair walking in my direction. Not the hair, the person with the hair. His head was down and he was walking at a slow pace; it looked like he was deep in thought. Of course Roxas shows up again. I've already had enough of him this weekend. So I got up quickly, walking back to my apartment, trying to blend in with the crowd on the way. I hope he didn't see me. I can put off dealing with him till Monday. And I'll follow Kairi's advice and ignore the past. Hakuna Matata.

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, blah blah blah.

I love The Lion King. Just saying. Also, this chapter was mostly for filler purposes so I can start things out anew. Again. I have an awesome idea for later on, but there kinda sorta needs to be a lot in between. Also, I finally put Sora in there! I know people have been anxious about him. I'm pretty sure I had something else to say regaurding this chapter, but I can't remember. Oh well...

I love you, **GoldenSnitch07**! You just make everything better. haha :D And 'I-reject-your-ideas,-stop-bullying-me-via-facebook-status-haha' to Chad (**TheRealGaiSensei**).

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! I actually started a Halloween oneshot, but I kinda gave up on it. Too distracted by other things. So I thought I'd say that now.

Oh, and please vote in the poll! Even if it's pretty much already decided :)

_Please Review. No flames please :)_


	6. August 10th

_B a r e l y _**Legal**

_All in all it's the perfect scene_

_And there's not anywhere that I would rather be_

_And it's now, now or never when we're chasing our dreams_

_And oh, we're getting close now, don't turn away_

"Ughh…" I peeked out from under my covers and glared at my radio alarm clock. Why does it have to be morning already? I don't want to go to work. '_There you go, Naminé. Be like every other person that has a job._' I rolled out of my bed and landed gracefully on my feet. Weird, every time I do that I—

"Ow!" —I fall. Maybe I should just stop doing that.

From where I was, I crawled over to my closet and used the handle to help myself up before opening it. '_What to wear, what to wear… Kairi didn't set out clothes for me today. Nor did she label a week's worth of outfits like she normally does._' I just grabbed whatever was in front of me and paired it with white skinny jeans. I gathered all my clothes and accessories and carried them into the bathroom.

**~*~**

Once I got out of the shower I got dressed and applied make up, etc.

I exited the bathroom and observed myself in my full length mirror. I had on the white skinny jeans I picked out along with a light pink blouse with bright blue belt wrapped around my waist. On my feet I wore matching blue flats and a blue headband in my hair. I went very mild with my accessories since this was the part that I was the least experienced with and simply decided on a blue bead bracelet and matching necklace with my usual heart one. I twirled a couple times to make sure I looked good before heading downstairs.

**~*~**

"Good morning." Aerith smiled at me as she offered to help me set out the croissants I had to buy for Jessica.

"Morning." I smiled back and allowed her help whilst I looked around for Roxas out of the corner of my eye.

"Looking for someone?" She smirked at me.

"Not really. Speaking of looking for people, where were you Saturday night? You completely disappeared!" I replied, changing the subject.

"I was calling my boyfriend. He couldn't make it because he was feeling sick, my poor baby." She finished setting out the food and began sipping her morning coffee. "Oh, his name is Cloud. He was supposed to come with Rikku. But she couldn't come either. Anyway, how was your night? I hear you _spent some time_ with Roxas." She winked devilishly.

"Woah! It was nothing like that. Trust me." I assured her, trying not to blush as I noticed Roxas come in.

"Of course it wasn't. You know, he doesn't actually hate you. I've been trying to convince him to be nice, but he refuses, muttering something about being 'weak'. I don't get it. Probably just something to do with how much he _wants_ you." With that she started laughing and walked off before I could yell at her for saying such things.

I just grumbled to myself and drank my coffee. _His_ was the only one left since I already gave Jessica hers. She informed me she was taking the afternoon off for an appointment and I could go home if I wanted. That was music to my ears. I could go home and relax some more and stay away from Roxas.

"Good morning, coffee girl." Roxas said as he grabbed his coffee from me. He took a sip then continued to stare at me. How rude.

"What?" I could feel my face becoming red, an annoying habit as of late. Who knew what actually happened that night? This was embarrassing. It was practically torture!

"Oh nothing." And with that he walked off towards some other employees. I also walked towards other people. Those people being just Jessica, whom was motioning for me to come over.

"Naminé, I changed my mind. You can stay here all afternoon. Roxas was telling me last week how swamped he was since we started this new spread for _Rising Falls_ modeling. You can help him. Now go get me a print out of that e-mail from Geppetto. He's been bothering me about getting whatever he wanted to be done, done." I kept a smile on my face as I headed to Jessica's office on the next floor.

As soon as the elevator doors closed I started screaming. '_Why me? I've had enough of him these past few days! Please not this!_'

**~*~**

"Au revoir!" Jessica shouted to no one in particular as she left the studio.

'_Ughh… now the real hell can begin._'

"Hello." Roxas seemingly whispered into my ear from behind. I whipped around to glare at him.

"Ever heard of personal space?" He just rolled his eyes and let out a small laugh.

"Have you?" He smirked and gestured me to follow him. This worried me. He is going to torture me about Saturday night all afternoon, isn't he?

"You bother me." I said, watching him tinker with his camera.

"I know." He continued for a few moments, saying nothing else. "Okay, well the next set of models should be here soon. You're here to do paperwork."

"Paperwork for what?" I asked, disgusted.

"Not sure exactly. But models from _Rising Falls_ always bring all these papers. Jessica's assistants always took care of it," he explained, moving over to mess with the set, consisting of a white back drop and a black chair centered in the middle. Not really much to mess with, but I guess it kept him busy.

"Hello." I heard a very feminine voice say to my left. I turned to face two models. One was a very beautiful brunette with straight bangs, and the other being a muscular, jet black haired male. "Where is hair and make-up?" She asked. '_Uhh… I never dealt with the models themselves! I just did stuff for Jessica._'

"Over here, miss." Roxas appeared beside me before I could say anything dumb and showed the two where to go.

**~*~**

About twenty minutes passed and they were back. That was quick considering how long it normally took models to get ready. The girl's hair was now teased and blown out and she had heavy dark eye make-up on along with a simple black dress. The male's hair was tussled with gel and he wore dark jeans and a white dress shirt.

Roxas told the two what they were doing and as soon as they were in place he began taking pictures, instructing them what to do every so often. I was impressed by how serious he was when he worked, being as I've never watched him before. But before I could pass into dreamland, a short woman appeared and handed me a huge stack of papers before leaving without a word. This must be the paperwork Roxas mentioned earlier.

**~*~**

About two hours later I found myself waving to the models as they left with their security guards and the short woman from before.

"So that was nice. You weren't in my way for once." Roxas placed his hand on my shoulder to get my attention. I shivered at the sudden contact. He must've sensed my discomfort because he removed his hand. "Now I bet you want to know what happened Saturday night. Or were you planning on just ignoring me?" Roxas smirked at me once again.

"Umm… no. I don't care. And I wasn't planning on ignoring you." I lied. This was definitely nothing I was expecting out of today. Honestly, I thought it would be awkward for both of us and we wouldn't have any contact whatsoever.

"Don't lie. Anyways, it doesn't matter since I'm not going to tell you. It's more fun this way."

"You're a jerk." I said, standing my ground.

"How cute, you're trying to stand up to me. I didn't even do anything wrong. You're just too much." He laughed and walked away to finish packing up his camera.

I glared at his back and began walking out. But before I could get too far, he caught up to me and started talking to me again.

"You know I hate you, right?" He asked as if it was nothing, but he didn't look back at me.

"Yes." I answered, confused.

"Good." And then he just started walking the opposite direction. I just stood there watching him disappear quickly into the crowd before turning my head to continue on my way home. '_That was the weirdest day of my life, I'd say. Absolutely nothing I expected even happened! He's talking to me! And then all of a sudden reminds me he hates me? I mean, what in the world? Did I miss something? Plus the day's not even over yet. Who knows what Kairi's been up to._'

**~*~**

I was greeted by the wondrous smell of Chinese food as I walked into the apartment. It was my favorite. I saw two Styrofoam boxes filled to the brim with delicious food and two glasses of pop on the coffee table. I set my bag on the floor and walked over for further examination. On the end of the table I noticed three movies stacked on each other on top of my favorite sweats. I picked up the movies and read the titles. '_27 Dresses, Transformers 2, and Tinkerbell… my favorites as well. Something has to be up..._' I set the movies back down and grabbed my sweats, heading to the bathroom to change. Kairi still wasn't in sight, but I could hear the faint sound of closet drawers closing upstairs. I was kind of scared.

Once I was finished changing into the gray sweatpants and blue cami, with the smiley emoticon on it, I walked back out into the living room area to see Kairi sitting on the couch with her gray sweats and pink cami, with the smiley emoticon on it, on. We were twinsies.

"So what's this?" I walked over and sat on the couch she had just covered with blankets and pillows, perfect for a movie night. "It's a Monday."

"Oh, and I'm not allowed to be nice to my best friend?" She smiled. I just gave her a look that said 'no'. "Well, you probably had a crappy day with Roxas. This will cheer you up!" She handed me my food before I could say anything else and started stuffing her mouth.

"Ok…? Well since I'm loving this, I'll let it slide. For now." I grabbed the remote and pressed 'play'. _27 Dresses_ began playing. I don't care that I've seen this movie a million and a half times, I loved it. But the whole love-hate-relationship made me upset. Why can't they just admit they like each other? But I guess that just makes the movie better.

I really did love these movies. Kairi and I have always had movie nights where we'd watch the most random movies. We made sure none of them were alike. It was always so much fun. That and we'd have Chinese and cover up in blankets no matter how hot it was. I guess Kairi really wanted something since we haven't done this in ages.

**~*~**

The ending credits to Transformers 2 rolled and I turned to a sleeping Kairi. It was only 9. Geez…

"Kai, wake up." I nudged her. She made a noise before opening her eyes. "One more movie to go. I waved the _Tinkerbell_ case in her face.

"Oh… I love this one." She sprang up, grabbed the movie, and put it in within mere seconds. No more sleep for Kairi then.

"Me…too…?" I responded, confused by her mischievous smile. I just ignored her once the movie began and watched in peace, pulling the covers up further. I just let my mind fill up with Terrence's strangely familiar voice.

**~*~**

I rolled over and almost fell off the couch. I opened my eyes and saw that the TV was frozen on the menu screen. It was dark and I glanced at the clock. It read 1:30. I guess we both fell asleep. I tried moving again till I realized Kairi was laying on me.

"Get off." I whispered, trying to get up. My attempts resulted in me pulling her cover and her rolling off of me and onto the floor.

"Ow! Naminé!" She shouted from below me.

"Sorry." I responded, stepping over her to put the movies away. Kairi got up and threw away the empty containers and put the glasses in the sink.

I just sat on the couch trying to regain myself before I made the dizzying trek upstairs. That spiral staircase was the devil sometimes.

"So can I ask you a favor?" Kairi joined me on the couch. Here it comes…

"Sure."

"Daddy let me open a store and I need help with the artsy things. Will you help?"

"That's great…umm…" I was taken aback by this. Kairi was known for short explanations. This wasn't that bad, but that required a lot of work. And I didn't really need more stress right now.

"Thanks!" She hugged me, assuming I agreed. I didn't say anything and just patted her back.

"No problem." I muttered.

"And you'll get paid of course." She added. That made me smile. I don't care that I was taking money from my best friend who I was trying to teach money wasn't everything, I could use it.

"Aw, thanks, Kai." I hugged her back that time. We parted and began our journey upstairs once Kairi shut off the lights.

"Since daddy owns Radiant Studios, he let me use them for advertising and such. Oh and I already asked Roxas to do the photography. So he'll be coming over some nights to work on it with you. I'll just supervise." I saw her wink before she closed her door on me.

'_No! Not again. Not freaking again. I get stuck with him enough! That arrogant piece of… grr… That jerk._'

I screamed silently all the way into my room and threw myself face down on the pillow. FML.

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any other copyright thing I happened to mention.

So this chapter was completely made up as I went. I wasn't really sure on what was going to happen next after the whole club thing. But it hit me the one day in english: PINK. And that transformed into Kairi owning a store. Actually, it was loosely (mostly) based on/inspired by that one episode of The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. haha. You know, that one where London opens a store in the hotel and enlists Maddie for her math/business skills? You don't? Oh well, it happened. I mean, I don't watch Disney Channel anymore...ptfff..... :)

Thanks **GoldenSnitch07**! You rock, what with your awesome dust and whatnot.

Oh, and please vote in the poll! Even if it's pretty much already decided :)

_Please review. No flames please :)_


	7. August 11th

_B a r e l y _**Legal**

"So I'm hoping you're looking as forward to Kairi's devious plans as I am." I said in a monotonous voice, speaking to Roxas the next day at work. I figured that since I was practically being forced to work with this man child I should at least try to be civil. And because he can kind of be nice, I could at least try. And I emphasize _try_.

He looked up from his camera to my awaiting eyes. He just kind of stood there and stared like he always does before returning his gaze to his camera again.

"Of course." I saw him smile. Well that wasn't much for me to act on. I just stood there, not saying anything else. I'm sure we looked very awkward from a distance. We were just standing there beside each other, facing the food table. But neither of us moved. I think he chose to not move because he secretly knew it bothered me. And I didn't move because I didn't really have anywhere else to go. Aerith wasn't here yet and Jessica told me she didn't want to look at me today.

I honestly didn't get that, since Kairi had reclaimed her position as my personal stylist. Today she decided to go with something dressier. I was wearing a white top that ruffled down the middle and a black pencil skirt. I also wore a black blazer to work, but took it off due to the heat. But since this is Kairi we're talking about, bright pink pumps adorned my feet.

I smoothed down my skirt before turning to walk away from this awkward situation. But before I could fully turn, Roxas bumped my arm, causing me to look up at him.

"What?"

"Did Kairi happen to tell you what was in store for tonight?"

"We're starting tonight?" I guess I shouldn't be surprised by this, but I think I deserved a little more of a warning than last night.

"Well, yea. But she decided to not reply to my texts once I started asking for details." He complained.

"That's typical Kairi for you. She was probably too busy texting her new beau." I smirked before realizing that they used to date. Maybe he was offended by this.

"Good for her. And if you were wondering, I'm way over Kairi. It's been a while." He gave me a reassuring smile before walking away.

That was random. Well, not really, but I can say it is if I want.

It's good that he's over Kairi. She's definitely over him. Plus I don't think I'd like it if he was still drooling over her. For many reasons. '_Whoa, Naminé. It sounds like you're saying you want him to like you. That's not what I'm saying here. I'm just saying its good he's over her. For both of them. Yea, that's it…_'

**~*~**

The rest of the day went by in a blur. Jessica didn't actually interact with me. I just went on doing the usual things I'd be asked to do. Paperwork sucks. And Roxas didn't really say anything else. But he did manage to throw out some more random insults at everything I did.

But now I was home and that was all that mattered. I'm hoping Kairi forgot about doing anything involving Roxas. Maybe we could just throw out design ideas while watching TV. That'd be nice.

I turned the key and opened the door to a quiet apartment. Maybe she was out.

"Hey!" Or not. As soon as I walked in, I barely had time to close the door before Kairi appeared and began screaming her greeting from two feet away. I hung my bag on the hook by the door and turned to her.

"Hello, Kairi." I noticed she was wearing a plain pink dress. It appeared to be cotton and had a white ribbon tied around the middle. It was very ordinary for Kairi to be wearing it. Even her pink, wedge sandals were average looking. Then I brought my gaze back to her done up face. She had on big silver hoop earrings and a matching necklace. Said necklace held the shiniest diamonds I have ever seen. Then her hair was gently scrunched. Okay, maybe she wasn't too average looking. But I had a feeling she was going to drag me off somewhere I didn't want to go. With this, thoughts of Roxas filled my mind. Oh no…

"We're going out."

"I never would've guessed…" I murmured under my breath as Kairi pulled me upstairs and into my room.

"I already have your dress picked out. I got it with mine. I knew you liked that whole 'plain' thing so I kept that in mind." I didn't know 'plain' was a 'thing', but oh well. It _was _Kairi after all.

She walked over to my bed and picked up whatever dress she put there earlier and held it up for me to see. It resembled hers, but inverse. It was white and had a light pink ribbon going around it, tying in the front. It was actually really nice. Like something I'd pick out myself. Oh, did I mention they were both strapless? They were. I think she had an obsession with that style.

"Go put it on. Then I'll do your hair and make-up." I just nodded in response before taking the dress and going to my bathroom to change.

Shortly after, I returned to my room in time for Kairi to glance at me before shoving me back in to do my hair and make-up.

"You're going to look great for Roxas. Even better than when we all went out." I heard her say as she straightened my hair more. '_Wait a second, did she say Roxas? Oh great…_'

"Why Roxas?" I asked, though I already knew the answer.

"Oh, did I not tell you? I'm taking you two over to see the place for the store. To better understand the layout. And to get ideas and stuff. Then we're meeting Sora and going to eat." She explained. How lovely. Sora being there meant I was going to be stuck with Roxas as my source of entertainment for the evening.

"That sounds… nice." I said, not wanting to not sound eager.

"I know, right? And since you two love each other, this will be so much fun!" I didn't get a chance to respond since she decided to put on my lip gloss at this exact moment.

**~*~**

"There. You look perfect." Kairi said from the doorway of my bathroom. I stood in the middle of my room, looking at my reflection in my full length mirror. Kairi ended up straightening my hair, but since my hair is dumb, it curled at the ends anyways. It just flipped over my shoulder like it almost always did. Along with the dress I was wearing white wedge sandals and just my heart necklace for jewelry. Then Kairi did my make-up to look very simple. It looked nice, but not as good as Kairi. She dazzled.

"Thanks, Kai." I said.

"You're welcome." She smiled and gestured me to follow her down stairs. "Roxas should be here any minute. I told him to come over once he was ready." She wondered over and took a seat at the bar, flipping open a magazine. I followed her, but detoured into the kitchen to get a bottle of water.

As I was chugging down the water like a fiend, a knock came at the door. Roxas.

"Coming!" Kairi shouted as she got up and went over to answer the door.

"Hey, Kairi." Roxas greeted as he walked in. He was wearing a white button up dress shirt, the top few buttons undone, mind you, he was _very _self-absorbed. Dark washed jeans and his usual red and black shoes completed the look.

My body chose right then to make a very unattractive gasping sound as I finished chugging my water, calling attention to myself.

"Whoa, leave some for the fish, Naminé." Kairi laughed hysterically and Roxas managed a smirk. The blush Kairi applied a bit earlier was becoming more natural.

"Sorry about that." I directed this more to Kairi as I walked over to them. Kairi nodded in agreement and shooed all of us out before locking the door behind us.

**~*~**

"So, where is this place?" Roxas broke the silence once we were down in the lobby.

"It's a surprise. But it's amazing. Here's a clue, it has a great view of the centre." The centre was exactly what it sounded like. It was the main square of the city where most of the businesses were. And at night, the lights were amazing and it was definitely _the _place to be. Not to mention shopping was great there since so many people passed through in a day. Radiant Studios is actually part of the centre. It was on one of the streets that met up there. I'm surprised Kairi could find a place to put her store; then again, her father owned practically everything. The Sanadas weren't exactly unknown around here.

"Impressive." Was all Roxas said in response. We all walked quickly out of the apartment building and into an awaiting taxi. Kairi Sanada never hails her own cab, let alone waits for one. Just another little thing I was trying to teach Kairi.

"Why am I always stuck beside _you_ in cabs?" I muttered to Roxas once we were seated inside. He was to my left and Kairi to my right. I was _always_ in the middle.

"Because you can't resist me, coffee girl. It's okay, it happens to everyone." Of course he'd say that. I think I liked it better when he was set on hating me and not talking to me. Now it's more of him hating me and making sure I knew it every second of the day.

"You disgust me." I said before turning my attention to Kairi, whom was texting Sora on her phone. "What does Sora have to say?" I tried making conversation.

"He just says he's excited to officially meet you tonight. He's so sweet." Kairi cooed.

"That's nice. I guess I'm excited too." '_More like excited to get away from Roxas._'

"Awesome. Well, we should be arriving soon. I just really wanted you guys to see it to get ideas." She announced this part to Roxas as well.

**~*~**

This place was really great. And we were only standing on the outside. The cab pulled up to the sidewalk that went around most of the centre. It was easy to tell this was a huge store, the entire outside being glass, like most stores. Kairi walked up to the door and unlocked it before letting us inside.

The store itself was like one giant square. Along the walls were random parts that jutted out, that's in most stores too. A lot of the time there's display cases there. Directly in the middle was a check-out counter and above us was what appeared to be a loft. The three of us walked further in and turned around to see the staircases on either side, leading up to said loft. The giant windows continued up to be that entire wall.

"Isn't it amazing?" Kairi asked us.

"It's really great, Kai."

"Yea, amazing." Roxas and I said these at the same time. I shot a glare at him before turning back to Kairi.

"I'm sure you already have ideas. Care to share?" It was easy to tell this since Kairi was practically bouncing up and down.

"Yes! I was thinking light pink walls. And black shelves and stands and stuff. With white as an accent color, to keep it fresh and all." There she goes again with the short explanations, but I got the point this time.

"Sounds cute." I smiled, looking around, trying to imagine where things would go.

"How about we put big photographs on the walls. By me of course. Maybe black and white with pink accents, to tie into the walls. Then we can use those for the ads. They can be of models for your clothing of course." Roxas suggested. There he goes being '_I'm-so-freaking-amazing-don't-deny-it_' again.

"Actually it's not _my _clothing. I'm using up and coming designers daddy found. They're really great, but I understand. And about models…" Kairi probably already picked them out from her contact list on her cell phone. "… I wanted you two to do it."

"What!?" This time I was okay with Roxas and me speaking simultaneously. She had to be crazy! First off, I was no model. Second, Roxas was _taking_ the pictures, not on the other side of the camera. And third, I _hate _him.

"What?" Kairi asked us as if it were nothing.

"I hate him!"

"Despite my sexiness, I'm not model material." This was once again said at the same time. I'm just going to ignore Roxas' comment.

"Oh come _on_, you two. You'd be perfect! I mean you're both fairly attractive", this was known as a Kairi compliment, "and you have great chemistry." I'm pretty sure Kairi's drunk. Either that or she just doesn't listen to my constant complaining about Roxas, and vice versa.

"Kairi, you're drunk." Thank you, Roxas, but oh my goodness, stop thinking the same things as me.

"Shut up, Roxas. Well, you're doing it no matter what. I know you two. You can't turn this down." She was crazy, really she was. Why would we _not _turn this down?

"Fine, I'll do it." Maybe I shouldn't have come tonight. I'm considering faking a seizure at this point. No, that's rude, but seriously, this sucks!

Wait a second—he said he'd do it? That jerk.

"What the heck, Roxas?" I turned to him and glared. He just smirked. He's probably just doing it because he's so self-absorbed. And he wants to torture me. I'm pretty sure that's it.

"Don't be a loser, coffee girl. This could be a good thing."

"Five seconds ago you were against it!"

"Yea, I know." That smirk never left his face.

"Care to tell me why?"

"No." If it wouldn't be extremely awkward and inappropriate, I would tackle that brat.

"Ughh…" I just walked up the nearest staircase and stared out the window, looking at random people on the street. Its better I just walk away from this argument before it escalates to actual physical contact. And not in the good way. '_Wait, not like that. I don't mean it in a _bad _way. I mean me massacring that pretty face of his. I mean not pretty. I mean—grr…_'

I'm not sure how long I was standing up there, but I realized Kairi joined me.

"Let's just go, Nam. Sorry I brought up the modeling thing, but I really want you two to do it. You're still going to work on this, right?" I looked over to see her pleading, puppy dog eyes. Darn her and her persuasive skills.

"Yea, Kai. I can't be selfish when it comes to your goals." I guess I was right. This was Kairi's idea, not mine, not Roxas', hers.

"Ok good, because you've been up here for like twenty minutes and Sora's hungry. He won't stop texting me." And with that she turned around and walked towards the front door so I couldn't see her anymore. I followed her to the edge of the loft and looked down to see Roxas standing there looking around the store. His face had an unreadable expression on it for once. It looked… pensive? Confused? Disappointed?

I caught myself staring again, so I quickly walked down the stairs and to Kairi, whom was waiting at the door.

**~*~**

"Fancy place, Kai." Sora finally broke the awkward silence between us four. We were all seated at the restaurant Kairi reserved for us. There was a thick tension blanketing the room, it seemed. We sat in one of the booths in the back corner, around a circular table. Roxas sat to my right and Kairi to my left, with Sora on her left. Once we left the store things kind of went back to being awkward. I didn't mean Roxas and my disagreement to cause this, but it did. And that look he had back at the store kept me quiet. Maybe that was why he was quiet too. And I think Kairi just decided on her own that was enough store talk we could handle for one evening. Sora just went with whatever Kairi felt.

"Thanks, Sora. Daddy owns it." She whispered that last part. Maybe she felt bad about all this '_daddy owns this, daddy owns that_' talk. I didn't mind since I was used to it, but I guess I hadn't voiced it yet.

"That's cool." Sora just smiled that cheesy smile of his that I found he used in almost every situation since I've met him. "So, Naminé, what's up?"

"Oh not much. Kairi's been keeping me busy." I didn't really have much to say to this guy. But kudos to him for trying.

He just laughed at this and silence once again returned.

"Hello, folks. May I take your order?" Before I knew it the waiter appeared. He seemed to be directing everything he said to Kairi, even when he asked Roxas what dressing he'd like for his salad. One talented waiter, I tell you.

The entire meal was very quiet save the random pieces of conversation Sora would throw out. Roxas was uncharacteristically silent. And Kairi didn't say much either until she and Sora got their dessert. But she only talked to him since I wasn't in the talking mood either. Roxas not speaking confused me enough that I wanted to find out why. He couldn't be that broken up about _agreeing_ to model for Kairi.

"Hey, I think I'm going to go back, Kai. See you later." I finally decided it was time to leave after watching Sora and Kairi eat one bite in the past ten minutes of their giant sundae.

"Okay. See ya." Kairi waved at me as I left the restaurant. For once I was glad I didn't have to contribute to the bill (it was complimentary since Kairi's dad owns the place) since I forgot my purse. It didn't hit me till half way down the block that I didn't have my keys either. Great…

"Wait!" I turned to see Roxas jogging up to me. I guess he didn't stay either.

"What?" No matter how curious I was, I didn't really have anything to say to him. I probably could've gone till tomorrow without talking to him again, or longer even. It was a little strange he decided to talk to me now anyways, but I guess I'll ignore that. Just tonight though. Being locked out sucked…

"Do you… really want to model with… me?" The pauses were also very unusual. This quiet, unguarded Roxas was very different indeed. And I'm not sure if I like it or not. But back to the question, did I actually want to do this?

"Not _really_, but I guess it's better with you than a guy I don't know." I smiled. He looked almost sad. Then again, he still was very unreadable. It was worth trying to cheer him up, even by that much.

The corner of his mouth turned up a little. There's that smile. Not that I wanted him smiling at me or anything.

"Well I would say I've got to be going, but it appears I'm locked out, so I've nowhere to go." I noticed we were still walking. At this moment, we were outside of Garden Café. …I don't want to go to work tomorrow…

"Let's just get some coffee then." He suggested, leading the way inside.

I just nodded to myself and followed him inside. Coffee was nice after a good meal.

We walked up to the counter and ordered our drinks, received them, and found a table to sit down at all in silence. I took a few sips of my coffee before deciding to break the silence. But instead of doing this I found myself staring again. Roxas was just sitting there looking outside. I could tell by his expression he wasn't here at all. It made me want to know what he was thinking. This was a new feeling when it came to Roxas. More like, a new feeling in general. If ever in this situation before, people would snap out of it and tell me what was on their mind. But not Roxas, he was different.

…His eyes were so blue…

"Naminé?"

"Huh?" My head snapped up and immediately locked on his. I must've been daydreaming again. '_Come on, Naminé, don't be like that. You can't think of that brat like that. Not only do you hate him, but it'd be way too cliché. Just shake the thoughts. Hold off just a little bit longer. No, forever. Just go back to hating-him-mode._'

"I said I'm probably gonna just call in sick tomorrow. I know it's bad and I rarely do it, I just need a break from Jessica, you know?" Wait, was I having a conversation with him? I really spaced out there. It's just new actually talking to the guy.

"Oh… yea, I would too, but I rather not be fired." I think I smiled there.

"You need to stand up and be your own person."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You need to stop following Kairi around like a lost puppy."

"I do not! …And lost puppies are cute." He just smiled and shook his head at this. I do not follow Kairi around like a lost puppy. I'm the one trying to teach her to be independent.

"And I don't want that 'I'm-the-one-teaching-her' crap. You know I'm right." It's like he's reading my mind or something.

Instead of arguing with him more I just focused on the street outside and finishing my coffee. After a few moments I heard a buzzing and looked to see Roxas checking his cell phone. Oh yea… I don't have my phone either…

"That was Kairi. She says she's home."

"I guess I'll be on my way." I stood up, taking my cup to throw away, "What time is it?"

"Almost 9, why?"

"Just wondered." I guess Kairi took her sweet time with Sora.

"Wait, I might as well walk you home, coffee girl." Roxas quickly got up and joined me as we walked outside.

"Oh thank you." Return of the sarcasm, I guess I'm not turning into such a schoolgirl after all.

**~*~**

Not so surprisingly, the walk home was mostly quiet. The fact that Roxas performed this act of kindness voluntarily was where the surprise came in.

I pondered this crazy turn of events as we walked to my apartment. It was a lot to handle in one day. I could sense his emotions were just as frayed as mine. Maybe it was us still getting used to each other. And to think, this was just day one of Kairi's project. I'm just going to hope every other day will consist of no Roxas-contact. Which reminds me, even if he doesn't come tomorrow, I will still have to deal with him practically every day. I just want to go back to hating each other, just obvious hate that we can agree on. Not all this random crap that keeps invading my thoughts.

"Well, good night I guess." I turned to Roxas, whom was standing there awkwardly, scratching the back of his head.

"Yea, night." I gave him one last smile before going inside and closing the door behind me. I didn't look to see if his expression changed at all since it's been hard to read as of tonight. But I'm just going to go up to my room and sleep. Maybe all this craziness will just go away. Sweet dreams, Naminé.

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any other copyrighted thing I used, if that wasn't already obvious.

So this chapter was realllllyyyyy long. I hope that made up for my lack of updating. Even though this chapter wasn't the best, don't worry, they should get better. I'm just trying to create drama to sail the story into December. This chapter was August 11th, so I have a long way to go...

Reasons for no updating: I couldn't update the first week on time because the Thursday after chapter 6 was added, I became very ill and was in the hospital. Still not sure on what was wrong with me. Therefore I missed some school and didn't have the energy to type, I hope that's okay, guys! And the reason I didn't update the next week was because I waited to actually write it and my co-author couldn't find time in her busy schedule to edit. Which is completely understandable, so don't be mad. But the good thing is I did finally update! :)

So thanks, **GoldenSnitch07**! And shout-out to **TheRealGaiSensei**! Just because.

And the reason Roxas was being a poo-head was because....You'll find out. I finally decided what to do with the story, which is actually a first. I have a great idea of what to do, in December. Also, Namine's birthday is coming up.

Oh, and please vote in the poll! Even if it's pretty much already decided :) And if you have little ideas you want to happen (choice in the poll), let me know! I may use it, or at least try to.

One last thing, should I give the chapters a title? If so, let me know. I was thinking of just using the date so it wouldn't be a mini-spoiler and you guys could keep up easier. Let me know in a review, if so.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! :)

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_Please review. No flames please. :)_


	8. August 25th

_B a r e l y _**Legal**

[_Roxas' _**POV**:]

I watched the door swing shut without her looking back. I wasn't really sure what was going on in my mind; it was so crazy up there. But why _was_ I being like this? She didn't do anything wrong. And to make it worse on her, I went from annoying, to distant, to annoying, to normal, all so quickly I'm surprised she doesn't have whiplash.

I can be such a jerk sometimes and not even realize it.

I rubbed my hand across my face hoping to take those thoughts away. When I looked up, I noticed I was still standing at her door. I'd best move before I was labeled a stalker. And so I was on my way back to my small apartment. It was homey, I'll give it that, but it was small. Oh well, I guess I can't complain. '_Oh, shut up already. You're just trying to distract yourself from what's really on your mind. And that's coffee girl._'

I shook my head again, hoping to free myself of that last thought, but it just wouldn't go away. Even as I made my way down to the street and to my place, it wouldn't go away.

I opened the door to my apartment to see everything exactly as I left it. Not that I was expecting it to be any different. I walked inside and set my keys and wallet on the counter of the kitchenette. That was conveniently off to my right as I walked in. The living room was straight ahead and led to a small balcony. On my left were the stairs that led up to my bedroom/loft. I walked up the three stairs to a miniscule landing, turned right, and kept going on up to my room. It too was very small, and wasn't much of a room. It had a banister on one side where you could look down over the living room. I had a pretty nice sized bed though. And an armoire and a nightstand completed my room. Oh, I had a hanging plant in the corner, if that counted for anything. The light, almost yellow walls created a warm atmosphere, so I guess it didn't need much. Like I said, homey.

I unbuttoned my shirt and threw it on my bed along with the t-shirt I had on underneath and my jeans. I looked around my room for a second, before deciding I wasn't really tired. Instead, I took my clothes and went back downstairs. I had a really small room for my washer and drier (I refused to call it a laundry room, it was more of a closet – but I guess that was standard for most apartments), and so I went there to put them in the hamper. This extremely small room was underneath my bedroom. There was a small hall on the side of the living room and there were three doors, one on my right, one on my left, and one straight ahead. The "laundry room" was on my right and the bathroom was on my left. The one straight ahead actually was my closet.

After that, I turned around and lay on my couch, turning the TV on. As soon as I thought I was distracted enough, thoughts of Naminé returned. Oh joy…

'_Well since there's no fighting it… let's recap:_

_Naminé and I were fighting briefly in the cab like we always do before we made it to Kairi's store. It was really awesome there and she agreed. Then Kairi mentioned we were going to be the models for the store. And that's when everything went haywire._

_I mean, we both disagreed at first, and then I went and agreed. But why? I don't want to do it. And it can't be because I want to model _with her_. Maybe it was just an out-of-body experience. Then she started up with me and then she got pissed and stormed off. Now I know I must've done that because I get some sick joy in that. _

_Then I started thinking about _her_. And for the first time since I met coffee girl, I was thinking about someone else. That must be why I was acting so distant. Because I miss her, I really do. I haven't thought about her in so long. I'm not sure what triggered it, but it happened. And then I couldn't talk to Naminé, let alone anyone all evening till after dinner._'

I noticed I was sniffling. '_If I cry I will punch myself in the face…_

'_Anyways, after dinner I chased after Naminé, like some kind of lost puppy. No, I wasn't the lost puppy here, she was for who knows what reason. It'll come to me._

_She said she didn't have her keys and something happened and we went to a coffee shop. I finally started to talk to her like a normal person tonight. Too bad I couldn't enjoy it. Not that she's that special or anything…_

_I think we were actually hitting it off. And thoughts of _her_ didn't come back. Then Kairi texted me and let me know this one moment couldn't last by saying she was home. So then I walked her back to her place and here I am: still confused._'

I looked up at the clock to see I was laying there for almost two hours. Maybe I will end up not going to work tomorrow, no matter how much that'll bother coffee girl. Well, I guess that's a good thing.

I walked up to my bed, turning the lights off as I went, and collapsed onto the soft sheets. I buried into them, refusing to let _her _invade my thoughts again. I just switched my mind to how tired I suddenly was and slowly closed my eyes. And I swear on my life, the girl that was dressed in white that was in my dreams was _not_ Naminé.

It was if my mind was as small as my apartment. Man, everything seemed so small.

**~*~**

**Two Weeks Later**

[_Naminé's _**POV**:]

So these past few weeks have gone by surprisingly fast. It wasn't obvious how fast it went till I found myself sitting at Radiant Café during my lunch break, musing over it all.

And for once I was actually pretty calm about it.

It all started with that crazy day exactly two weeks ago with Roxas. Turned out he did in fact go to work that next day. And picked up with the harassing. Glad to see he's returned to normal. It was like nothing happened. I really enjoyed that, so I just went on as usual too. Jessica continued to pile on the work and I just smiled.

The rest of that week went by really fast. The only big thing that happened was that Kairi picked out the pink color she wanted and the store was painted. It had pink walls, black hardwood floor, and white trim. It actually looked pretty nice. We also decided on the hangers and stands and ordered them. The designers have all the clothes made, and Kairi went to look at them Friday. But no decisions were made.

That Saturday was spent at Radiant Studios, much to my dismay, taking test photos for the advertisements. Roxas and I did fairly well since the guy Kairi found took most of them separately. And Roxas took advantage of that to take all the photos he could. And the ones we were in together we didn't have to touch each other whatsoever so that was nice. Everything went by without incident, so it was easy to overlook that previous Tuesday.

Then the next week was just as dull. There were minor decisions about the store made, but not much. And Roxas just picked on me a little. It was the normal banter we went through so once again, it wasn't worth it to think about now.

But now it's Tuesday of the following week, the 25th. Four days till my birthday. And _that_ would be the biggest thing on my mind right now. I wasn't concerned with being older; I was only going to be 22. It was Kairi. She always had to go all out on my birthday. And I'd beg her to not do anything, she'd agree, and then do it anyways. That girl sometimes… And now that Roxas was thrown into the mix, things couldn't possibly be normal.

And that would be why I now had absolutely no nails. They looked like crap, so I had to sneak around Kairi so she wouldn't drive me to a manicurist immediately. She is a freak. But I guess I have to love her because Sora couldn't handle it all himself.

Speaking of Sora, I've gotten to know him better the past few weeks since he goes everywhere with Kairi. The two are pretty inseparable. He's a pretty good guy. I actually trust him to some extent. He's great to chat with at least. He's so goofy, it complements Kairi…

"Ahh!"

"Ahh!" I screamed into the face of whoever just screamed at me. That freaking scared the crap out of me. I was trying to catch my breath when I heard a chuckle and a chair being pulled out and pulled back in.

"Roxas, you jerk." I glared at him. That was really embarrassing. And to think I was just internally complimenting him a few moments ago. That image of him just got thrown out the window. "What do you want?"

"Oh nothing." I looked up to see him smirking at me once again. I honestly don't get him. I can never try to guess what kind of mood he's in. He's like a woman. I laughed internally at that as I watched him take my lemonade and drink it.

"Hey!" I scolded him, taking my drink back.

"Do you want to see something amazing?"

"Not particularly." If it's something he thinks is amazing, it probably isn't.

"Too bad. Let's go, you're the only one who hasn't seen it yet." He stood up and began walking towards the exit before stopping and looking back. "You coming?"

I grumbled and took my trash to throw away before following him out the door and into the hot weather outside. I just kept following him and kept quiet. We walked a few blocks before he stopped at a car dealership.

"Okay, it's in here." Ughh, I hate the smell of these places. That new car smell gave me major headaches.

"Fine." I followed him inside and to a back area. He must've thought he was some big shot for being let through a series of doors most people wouldn't be allowed to go. Last time I checked, Roxas wasn't anything special.

We ended up in an empty room in the back. Well, empty save the freaking amazing car in the middle. This must be Roxas' new toy or something.

I think my jaw dropped because Roxas looked at me with that ever present smirk of his and said, "Ahh, so you do like it? Never would've guessed." I immediately shut my mouth and glared at him, keeping my arms tightly folded. He was such a jerk.

But I had to admit, this car was hot. It was a sleek black color and…that's all I actually knew. It was just so cool looking.

"What kind is it?" And this was the last thing I'd get to say for a while because he took this as the chance to go on and on about it. '_Why did he have to show me? I mean, I bet he still got the satisfaction from everyone else's jealous stares. Geez…_'

"It's a Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4 Grand Sport." He paused here and looked over to me. Oh, I guess I do get a part in this conversation, if it could even be called that.

"How could you afford it?" That wasn't supposed to come out. But I was curious. I mean, he couldn't be making _that_ much munny.

"That, coffee girl, would be none of your business." Smart answer. "Now check this out." He motioned for me to come around to the front. He popped open the hood and started going on about the engine. It looked fancy and all, but I never understood cars, that was always my father's job. And now that I'm in the city, I don't actually have my car here. But that's not important right now. "It has a Quad-Turbocharged 16 Cylinder, 1001 hp at 6000 rpm." No idea what that meant. Then he went on and on about other stuff that I once again was clueless on. "Oh, and it goes 0-60 in less than 3 seconds. Impressive, eh?"

"Sure." '_Yes._'

"Get in, this baby purrs like a kitten." I followed his orders and got into the passenger seat. Leather interior, nice. He got in the driver's seat and turned the ignition, and continued to rev it up, mainly just to show off. I guess this was the excited side of Roxas. It was equally annoying as his normal attitude, just slightly less rude.

He began pointing things out inside. "Built in nav-computer. Puccini digital surround sound system. My baby's beautiful. And no worries, I'm having her stored as to not scratch the paint, you know. I have my actual car to drive around the city." Good to know.

This was so boring and I'm sure I'm late, despite the elongated lunch break due to Jessica having a meeting right after lunch. I had to get out of here. But first I needed a snappy comment…hmm…

"There's no cup holders." And with that I got out and began walking back to Radiant Studios.

I heard him shut off the engine and close the hood before running to catch up with me. "You're not going to be late, if that's what's bothering you." I wish he'd stop voicing my thoughts. It gets creepy after a while, especially since he 'hates' me and all.

"I wasn't worried about that actually, but thank you for bringing it up." I quickened my pace.

"You are so difficult, you know that, coffee girl?"

"I'm difficult! What about you? You're the one that becomes a new level of annoying every day." I glared at him and focused my attention on my brown stilettos. They went nice with the light periwinkle sundress Kairi picked out for me today. It was a spaghetti strap dress with little buttons down the middle at the top that met a belt (that was the material of the dress) and it fanned out from there. I also wore my usual heart necklace. It was all very simple, as Kairi put it, and it was nice to wear on such a warm day.

"Right. Of course I am. Well since you know I hate you, it doesn't really matter." With that he stormed off and disappeared into the busy crowds on the sidewalk. '_Great, now I made him angry after all he did was show his new car off. I'm not going to feel bad about it though since he called it upon himself. He should be better by tomorrow. Anyways, I have more pressing matters at hand: my birthday._'

**~*~**

"Hey, Kai." I said, whilst walking into our apartment that evening. She was sitting at the small table we had, looking through a book I assumed was of designs for her store. "Hey, Sora." I looked up to notice Sora rummaging through the food. They both moved their hands up to acknowledge me before going back to whatever they were doing. I set my bag down and went upstairs to relax.

As I laid down on my bed, thoughts about the random day I'd just experienced skipped about my mind. Roxas wasn't actually rude, like he normally is. He hasn't really been _that _rude in a while. He was just being annoying and cocky, but I'm sure that last part will never change. He must've felt the need to make a big deal out of that one comment I said about him. Well, good for him, maybe he'll learn.

I sighed again before rolling onto my stomach, staring at my laptop. '_I haven't sent mom an e-mail in forever. Nor have I called her for that matter._' I got up, kicked off my shoes that I just now realized really hurt, and sat at my computer desk. Being independent, having good morals, and family were supposed to be very close to me after all. '_Dear mom, so I met this guy…_'

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any other copyrighted thing I happened to use... happy now?

Okay, well this chapter was ridiculous, was it not? So **TheRealGaiSensei** told me about using Roxas' POV again in the beginning, so credit to that idea goes to him. As well as Roxas' new car. Because I know nothing about cars and he loves helping me! Yea... that's right. _Loves_ it. That and after a while I can't think of good ideas for this story. But not to worry because I thought of more ideas and have the next chapter planned/written and everything! Be proud of me. Anyways, I tried to fill in Roxas' freakish mood swings with some foreshadowing and insight into his past. And now you know where he lives! It's so cute.. in my mind. And did anyone notice Roxas was only in his boxers for most of it? I just had too... My poor fangirl mind couldn't resist. ANYWAYS, I was then able to get back into the groove of writing Naminé. The whiny person she is. Oh and her e-mail to her mom at the end was completely random, so don't think about it too much. I just thought that last line was cheesy. And I think that's all of my rambling for today.

Check out story related links on my profile along with the (now kinda pointless) poll! Those links include outfits and now Roxas' fancy new car.

**GoldenSnitch07**, you are a beast writer. Thanks so much, deary.

And shout out to **startscribbling12** just because! :)

And seriously guys, please review. Because I have no idea what you all think of the story and I don't know what you want. And you've got me all worried about how the popularity has gone down. Was because of my bad writing or what? I probably sound like every other author on fanfiction (and really whiny), but feedback is the only thing we really want besides the joy in writing. And not only are you making me sad, but also my fabulous co-writer! Don't let her awesome dust go out, you have to review!

* * *

_Please review. No flames please_ _:)_


	9. August 29th

_B a r e l y _**Legal**

This was it. Today was my birthday. It was August 29th, a Saturday.

I groaned, rolling over onto my back. I was currently trying to use up as much of the morning as I could by just laying in bed. I noticed my clock announcing it was 10 o'clock in neon green. I guess I used up some time.

"Good morning, birthday girl!" Kairi busted through the door. She walked over and sat on the edge of my bed. I just rolled back over to face the wall. "Don't be grumpy, it's your birthday." '_Yea, I know._'

I turned to look at her, she looked so happy. I guess I should be too, I was just afraid of what kind of things she had planned. Okay, I'll be good. I slowly sat up before actually getting up.

"Well, now that you're up, let's have breakfast." She grabbed my wrist and dragged me downstairs. I took note that there wasn't any decorations save for the lone balloon tied to my usual chair at the table. That was excusable. Along with my balloon, a huge pile of pancakes sat waiting for me. And not just any pancakes, they were chocolate chip and covered with chocolate sauce and bananas. It was that meal you could get at that restaurant. You know? The one with the rooster and the brownies. Anyways, I got it before and they were amazing, but I don't think they serve it anymore. I guess Kairi could pull some strings since I knew she didn't make them.

"Aww, thanks, Kai." I hugged her before going over and starting to eat. Kairi soon joined me.

"Do you want your present now, or later?" '_Is never a choice? I know I sound rude, but Kairi was known for going overboard on birthday presents._'

"Later."

"Too bad. Here you go." I think Roxas rubbed off on her when they were dating. Wait, that sounded weird, never mind. She proceeded to pick up a little blue and white polka-dot wrapped box that I didn't notice was sitting on the chair beside her. There were only so many things that could be in that box.

I took it from her after wiping my hands and attempted to lift off the lid. Apparently only coordinated people could do that because Kairi took it back, took the top off, and handed it back. I'm going to blame that on that its morning and I'm full of pancake.

"Oh my…." I pulled out a fancy new iPod touch. This must have been so expensive.

"Well you told me to keep it small, so I did. I mean, I wanted to get you a car or something, but Sora didn't think that was a good idea. And you did say your old one broke." Well then I guess this was a good gift, given what she just said. "There's more." I looked back into the box to see a $100 iTunes gift card. Of course…

"Thank you so much, Kai!" I pulled her into a hug. "Now I'll have to top this come January." She hugged me back.

"Yea, yea. I'm amazing." I laughed, pulling back to further examine my newest technology. This was way better than the second generation nano.

I finished eating my breakfast and went back upstairs to get dressed. I went into my bathroom to brush my teeth first and once I was done I turned around to see Kairi.

"Yes?"

She looked me up and down, back out to my room, and then back to me. "Never mind, I'll tell you later." And with that she walked out. '_Okay then…? I hope this isn't the crazy thing coming up._' Something told me I was wrong.

I went back out to my room and rummaged through my closet before settling on my outfit. I chose a white cami, my usual gray sweats, and pulled my hair into a loose ponytail. Nothing special.

I walked downstairs to see that Kairi chose to sit back at the table. "So what did you want to do today? Movie? It's your birthday." She looked up to see me. "I'd rather not just bum around all day."

'_Aww, shoot._' "Fine. How about we go see a movie?"

"Awesome."

**~*~**

It was now 5:00 in the evening. The movie was good and now we were just sitting around the apartment. Kairi and I had a late lunch so I didn't bother with trying to plan dinner.

"Okay, get dressed."

"I am dressed." Before the movie, Kairi made me put jeans and at least a t-shirt on, even that was torture for her.

"Just…ughh… I'll go get clothes." Could this be the mysterious party she _wasn't planning_? Fine, I'll go along with it. I shouldn't be bothered by this after so many years. And I'll just cross my fingers Roxas isn't going to be there.

He hadn't even crossed my mind all day. He got over me telling him he was annoying and resumed his 'insult-and-annoy-coffee-girl' role the past few days.

"Okay, you can come up now!" I heard Kairi shout from my room. I hurried up the stairs and in said room to see her gesturing to the clothes she laid out on the bed. "Wear the swimsuit under the clothes. I'm going to go change too." She exited my room and went to hers. I shut the door after her and looked over to what she laid out.

She didn't really try masking what we were doing. It was obviously a pool party or something. Ok, I could deal with that. It could be very simple and still be fun. Then again, it _was_ Kairi.

Okay, back to what I was changing into. I first noticed the white bikini on top. It was very plain, but a bikini nonetheless. Okay, I just won't get in… Next was a thin white short sleeved shirt. This was followed by a blue plaid button up over that. The sleeves were sewn to look like they were rolled up. It was pretty cute. There also was a pair of jean short-shorts. Way to make me feel uncomfortable, Kai. Oh well, I could deal, hopefully. I looked to see a pair of white and brown knee socks and beige UGGS sitting on the floor. I slid those on and began walking to Kairi's room.

I entered to see her putting the finishing touches on her hair with the straightener. She had on a dark red bikini and a jean mini skirt. The only thing covering her upper body, besides the suit, was a white zip-up hoodie. It was only zipped up to the pockets. She also wore dark red and white striped flip flops. She looked cute as well.

"Come over here, let's do your hair." I walked over and sat in her desk chair in front of her make-up station. "I'm just going to put it in a better ponytail since you're probably going to get wet." She pulled out what I had in and did it again. It too was messy, but cute in a way. Like it was tighter at the top and looser underneath, with a lot of loose hair along with my bangs hanging out. "There." She put some water-proof make-up on us both and we were ready.

**~*~**

I tapped my foot while listening to my snazzy new iPod on the way there. I couldn't take Kairi's babbling. After a while I realized we had driven past the hotel we normally went swimming at. We must be going to the beach instead. Beach parties were cool. And the fact that it was for me…wait, that made me nervous. I decided to look out the window, watching it slowly get darker.

It was around 8:30 when we got there. It was an hour and a half drive and we did mess at the apartment for a while. Plus traffic and Kairi's driving skills.

I looked at the sign when we got out of the car. "_Welcome to Radiant Horizon Beach: where the party doesn't stop till the sun rises_." Lame slogan. But this was supposedly the best beach around the city. You'd have to go to Destiny Islands for the best anywhere.

"So if you haven't figured it out, this is your fantastic surprise party." '_What surprise?_' "And it's a surprise because you didn't know till today." '_Okay then._' "Follow me." I followed Kairi to the beach, which was hidden by some tall grasses and a fence.

And oh my, it was a sight to see. It looked like Kairi had invited the majority of the city. I was familiar with some of them. Not quite everyone. Too bad the family wasn't there, but mom already gave me birthday wishes from them and said she sent a card. I looked up to see a Happy Birthday sign and lots of balloons around the area.

Sora approached us. "Happy birthday, Nam." Yes, he was on nickname terms with me.

"Thanks, Sora." I gave him a small hug before other people began coming up to me. I was on autopilot the whole time, still looking at everything. Of course Kairi went crazy. There was a tiki hut set up with food and non-alcoholic drinks, couldn't risk that again, and a lot of wooden tables near that. There were tiki torches lining the beach and would be the provider of light in about half an hour. Then I noticed lights were hung around on various poles on the beach. And in the middle of everything was a giant fire pit, where some guys were starting it so it'd be nice for later. Everything was so amazing.

I turned to where I thought Kairi was to realize she was over at one of the tables with Sora and some others. I walked over to see those others were Aerith, Aqua, Ven, and some others I didn't know.

"This is really great, thanks, Kai." I managed to tell her between greeting more people. When I was hugging Aerith I noticed a big table with gifts and cards on it behind her. Wow…

"--This is my boyfriend, Cloud." I looked to see that Aerith was still talking to me. This guy was really tall. And he had ridiculously spiky blonde hair, even more so than Roxas.

Roxas. Where is he? Not that I want him here or anything.

**~*~**

I must've been spacing out because before I knew it, it was dark and the bonfire was raging. I also took notice music was blaring through speakers on the various poles. Currently it was "Summer Nights" by Rascal Flatts. Yes, I like country… some of it. But anyways, the song was very fitting. Before I knew it I was dancing to the music and was laughing away with Kairi. Some people were in the water, including Sora.

It was so much fun.

"So sorry I'm late."

I screamed once again, luckily this time it was masked by laughter and talking. I looked up to see Roxas standing there.

"Oh, it's just you." He was wearing black and white floral board shorts, a white t-shirt, and black sandals. His hair was in its usual unruly mess. It was actually… cute. I mean, not. Not at all. I blushed, finally realizing he was just staring at me. I should be getting used to this by now.

"I could just leave, but then again, the ladies would miss me."

"Of course they would." I rolled my eyes, walking over to a table. He followed me.

"So I guess it's your birthday."

"Really?" I shot him a glare.

"I was going to say happy birthday, but not now, miss sass." That was lame. "Whatever. Here." He handed me a blue envelope with my name written in messy scrawl on front.

"Umm… thanks." I took the envelope and went to open it.

"Wait. Open it later." He took it from me.

"Why? Is it embarrassing?"

"Yes. Aerith told me to be nice." He walked over and set it on the table before coming back over. Well then. Just as he was coming back, Kairi ran over.

"Nam! You _have_ to get in. Sora's making me." She pleaded, taking my arm and attempting to get me up.

"I don't wanna."

"Why not? It's your birthday."

"Exactly. I should be able to do whatever I want." We argued like this for a while before Roxas decided to interrupt by taking his shirt off and setting it down with his sandals.

"Come on." He smirked, did what I assumed was a pose, and then ran over to the water, jumping in. I also took note he immediately started talking to Cloud. I guess they knew each other.

"Yea, what he said." I looked up at Kairi, whom was flashing me a winning smile and puppy dog eyes.

"Fine." I whined, getting up.

She gestured to her bag which was lying on the table. "Just put your clothes in there." I did so by taking off the two shirts and shorts. Good thing I was a cheerleader, so I was used to having to change in front of people. Not in _that_ way…oh never mind. No one was really paying attention anyways. After that I slid off my boots and socks and set those on top of Roxas' shirt.

"Okay, let's go!" Kairi took my arm and we ran over to the water. It was so cold! At least the beach back at Destiny Islands had warm water.

"Kai, Nam, over here!" I looked to see that Sora was the one shouting. We went over to him, whom was now part of the group of Roxas, Cloud, Aerith, Ven, and Aqua. Couples, how great…

Everyone began talking and I was left out on my birthday so I just started observing everyone.

Kairi and Sora were splashing each other, Cloud had Aerith on his shoulders, as did Ven with Aqua. It was fun watching them play chicken. Then I saw Roxas. It looked like he was sitting down because only his nose and up was exposed above the water. He was such a creeper.

Then all of a sudden I felt someone pull me underwater and I came face to face with Roxas. Underwater. I immediately surfaced as did he, so I could shove him.

"You are such a jerk."

"Am I? You've never told me that before." I guess I did call him that a lot.

"Shut up." I resorted to splashing him. And he I. We probably looked like Sora and Kairi except not cute.

**~*~**

"You coming back to the fire?" Kairi asked me. We were both at the table, changing back into our dry clothes.

"S-sure." See, it was very cold and Kairi had her amazing boyfriend to lend her a sweatshirt. How sweet, right? No, because I was still cold. "But just a s-second. I'm going to g-get a d-drink."

"Okay." Oblivious little Kairi walked back over to the bonfire and I assume, found Sora to cuddle with.

I went over to the tiki bar to get another cup of pop since there was no hot chocolate. That would've been too easy. "T-thanks." I took my drink and was about done with it when Roxas showed up once more. This time he was bundled up in his own hoodie. It looked warm. I wish it was warm at night along the beach here like the Islands. This place was too…different sometimes. But then again, it might be just because I was still chilled from the cold water.

"You look cold." Well I was shivering like crazy.

"What g-gave you that idea?" I smarted him.

"Just the fact that you were stuttering. And shivering. You don't have any other clothes do you?" Of course he'd answer me seriously. Just to bother me. And, no I didn't. Kairi didn't warn me. And I was dumb enough to not think of it.

"Just go away." I turned, planning on going over to the fire.

"Wait."

"What is it this time?" This scene was all too familiar.

"You need a jacket?" I nodded. I could see where this was going. And despite how much I hated this guy, I could use something warm. He probably just asked because it was my birthday and Aerith wants him to be nice.

"Okay. Follow me." And so I did. All the way to the parking lot and to his little black car. So this was his 'actual' one. He got his keys out and opened the trunk. "I think I have an old one in here somewhere." His trunk was full of random guy stuff. And no, I'm not sure what I meant by that. I watched him dig into the very back to retrieve a gray hoodie with red writing. "Here. Give it back whenever." I noticed it read 'Nabradia' on the back with a giant '13' below it, before I put it on. I looked down to see what the front looked like. It said 'Twilight Town' across the top, 'Lions' on the bottom, and a picture of a lion with a football in its mouth in between. It was really soft too. I guess he played football back in high school. That's cool since I loved football. I looked up to see him staring at me again. Maybe he was thinking about how small I looked in it. Or not, since he looked almost sad. That was the look from the store a couple weeks ago. Oh no…

"Football player, eh?" I decided to start talking to forget about it. I had to quicken my pace to keep up with him. His solemn look was now gone, maybe he learned from the last time he was sad around me. He looked over and smiled.

"Yea. I was a beast." That smile turned to a smirk and he looked away. Of course…

"I was a cheerleader, you know…" For a second he was frowning before he looked at me and away again.

"Cool. Well, let's go find Kairi and Sora." I just noticed we were standing near the bonfire. I nodded once more before following him through the crowd of people and to the middle where Kairi and Sora were sitting on a fairly long log. I went over to sit by Kairi and Roxas sat on my other side.

"Hey, Kai." Kairi looked over and immediately noticed my sweatshirt. I thought she was going to say something embarrassing but she just looked back up to my face and smiled.

"Hey, Nam. It's a great night, isn't it?"

"It sure is."

"Now I bet you're glad I planned this." I just nodded. I was also pretty glad that after a while some people forgot it was my birthday party and ignored me. I was content with Kairi and Sora. And Roxas I guess.

"Well, we were just going to stay for another hour or so to fully dry off and absorb the atmosphere before heading back."

"Okay." I glanced at my cell phone, that I managed to not loose tonight, to see it was only 11:00. I'm surprised we weren't staying longer. Time must've gone slow; I actually thought it was later.

**~*~**

Suddenly I found myself back at the apartment. Sora and Roxas apparently found it necessary to come in for more visiting. Well, Sora I didn't mind, but Roxas was random. I think he just wanted some free snacks.

I was situated on the couch and Kairi and Sora were at the table doing who knows what. They had a big curtain and claimed I wasn't allowed looking. They were masters at surprises, that's a fact. Oh, and Roxas was sitting beside me on the couch. Gosh, there were chairs; he didn't have to sit next to me.

"Okay, we're ready!" Kairi shouted. And with that Roxas took my arm, pulling me up, and instantly covered my eyes with his hands.

"Stop it!" I was fighting his grip on my face. And I was losing.

"Just walk." He guided me over to where I thought was the table.

"Happy birthday." Kairi and Sora said whilst Roxas uncovered my eyes. My eyes were now glued on the beautiful cake sitting in front of me. I could tell it was one of those fancy custom ones. I guess this was why Roxas came over. Anyways, It was covered in green fondant and was just one little circle. The amazing part was all the intricate white flower design and polka dots. And on the top it had my name in blue. And it had two lone candles on top. It was so pretty. I turned and hugged Kairi, then Sora. I avoided Roxas.

"Thanks so much! I thought the gifts and party was enough. Now this, it's great." I said. Speaking of which, Kairi was going to have the gifts from the party delivered tomorrow morning. And yes, there was cake at the party, but it was nowhere near as amazing as this. I guess I forgot about it till now.

"You're welcome. Now make a wish." I closed my eyes. I wasn't sure what to wish for, even if it wouldn't come true. So many things rushed through my mind. Like getting a promotion and Kairi's store being done and successful. Even seeing my family. But everything just went back to Roxas. And I wasn't sure why. He wasn't anything special, he was just annoying. Just… Roxas.

Then I blew out the candles. '_I hope I wasn't being cliché just now. I really hate doing that._'

**~*~**

Sora and Roxas were long gone. Not so surprisingly, Roxas left right after he was done eating. It was chocolate, by the way, my favorite. After they left I went to take a quick shower, just to feel refreshed, since I would shower properly tomorrow, ermm…later today I guess. I was in my comfy sweatpants and back in Roxas' sweatshirt for some reason.

I thought I was about to go to sleep but I was sadly mistaken. And the reason I was sadly mistaken was that Kairi busted through my door and sat on my bed for the second time today.

"So what's up with you and Roxas?" Of course. She was obsessed with us being a 'thing'. "I was going to ask earlier about the hoodie, but decided not to."

"Nothing. I was just cold. I saw you were wearing Sora's."

"Well, we're dating, Nam. You and Roxas aren't."

"So?"

"I just thought it was something. You're the one that was laying here smelling it when I came in." I was not. At least I don't think so. "And you two seemed rather chummy. What did he get you?"

That was random. "A card I think. I didn't open it."

"Well, you will and you will come running to me shouting your love for him. He can be very sweet with his writing." I still found it awkward that they used to date.

"Oh shut up."

"Will you do one thing for me?"

"Is it about Roxas?"

"Yes." She smiled.

"Ughh… what is it?"

"Try to be nice. I can tell he's been trying to lately. And who knows, maybe you two will become pretty close friends. Or more." As soon as she said that she ran out my room, slamming the door.

'_Why is everyone insisting on us having something going on? We hate each other. And I'm not going to be best friends with the guy unless he tries first. And none of that being nice for a day and going back to hating me like before._'

I rolled over, bringing the sleeves up to my face. '_It does smell good. Like cologne and shampoo. And something else... Sea salt? That's weird. Well I guess he's from Twilight Town, that must explain it. They were famous for being the birthplace of sea-salt ice-cream. I just know this since I have a cousin from there. It's a pretty small town._'

I just laid there, taking in the unique scent. He _did_ say to return it 'whenever'. I guess since I'm practically stealing his clothes I might as well try to nice. Maybe.

Then I yawned. It was pretty late. '_Happy Birthday, Naminé._'

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, Charm City Cakes, iPod/Apple, Kings Restaurant, "Summer Nights" by Rascal Flatts, or any other mentioned thing that's protected by a copyright. Or else I'd be one very happy girl.

* * *

So this chapter was really long since it's a birthday chapter! And I just couldn't stop writing. It was just too darn cute. And now I think I know what I'm going to do with the story... It's just going to be longer than I originally planned, but that's okay, right? Right. I love you guys! Especially reviewers. You know who you are.....ANYWAYS MORE RAMBLING ABOUT THIS CHAPTER. Yes, Namine's outfit is based on what that one girl on the "Summer Nights" video. Because that video pretty much inspired this chapter...I just love making Roxas shirtless, eh? It happens. And after they were 'swimming' they all just magically dried (just noticed that) or maybe they're just really damp. That's unattractive. But I still think I did any okay job with her birthday. Every aspect of it. I think. Well except Roxas going back to her place after and his card. That was random. As was the hoodie thing, but I couldn't resist! Too cute. And now that's one more thing I can play with in coming chapters.. And now you can wonder about Roxas' random sad moments. Once you find out you'll be like 'wow, that was obvious'...And yes, the cake was my homeade idea of a Charm City Cake since I love that show. Duff is a beast... And...And... I don't know.. Three cheers for fluff (mild/implied/Namine's thoughts)! No, that's lame.. Umm.. wish Namine a happy birthday in your review! Yes. That's it. Do it. I dare you. NOW YOU CAN'T SAY NO.

Thanks, **GoldenSnitch07**, you are a beast! I love you, deary! You and your awesome dust of awesomeness.

Since I always mention people at the bottom of each chapter I decided to make it a 'shout-out' thing. Because I always end up doing that. I'm going to try using someone different each chapter. So review if you want it! But don't ask, that would be a 'no'. And I'm still sad at lack of reviews, people! But I do treasure the ones I get. I must be doing _something _right.

This chapter's shout-out goes to **Caitlyn-4479**! Because I love your reviews, they make me smile (as does all our reviews).

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_Please review. No flames please. :)_


	10. September 5th

_B a r e l y _**Legal**

_Happy Birthday, coffee girl. I would say to have a great day, but I'd be lying. And I'd never lie because I'm perfect.. xD ..So you know how Aerith is always like 'be nice to Naminé!' and stuff? Well I told her I would be nice to you. Today. And give you a card, happy? Well I don't want you getting used to it. So… yea… and tell Kairi I've stopped that whole 'being cute' thing, okay? She keeps teasing me now because 'she knows how cute precious Roxy can be'… I think I'm done quoting now.. Bye :|_

_..Roxas Nabradia_

Roxas' card kept running through my mind all day Sunday. He was so weird. I know he hates me and I know he can be nice sometimes, so why does he bother telling me over and over? He's got some problems. And Kairi read the note and told me he was lying about that last part and we should be friends. But I think she's really still obsessed with us being a thing. It just makes me sick thinking about it.

"Naminé, seriously, you need a hearing aid or something. Let's go!" Kairi shouted at me. I do not need a hearing aid; I just space out a lot. Darn that Roxas Nabradia. Speaking of which, this is the first time I heard his last name. It's odd that it took that long, but oh well.

"I'm coming." I whined. Kairi was finally dragging me to the first photo shoot for her store. She decided on a name for her store this week actually. 'The Kai'. Better late than never I guess.

I followed the young entrepreneur to the elevator and to an awaiting taxi on the street below. This is going to be an adventure…

**~*~**

"Go in here for hair. Then go in here for make-up. Then go to him for costume and back to me." A tall brunette was giving me orders and gesturing to various doors, inspiring confusion and causing me to cling to Kairi's arm for dear life.

We were on a higher level of Radiant Studios. I don't think I've ever actually been here before. And where was Roxas?

"Just follow me." I looked up in time to notice Kairi walking ahead of me.

The next hour or so was torture. I could deal with Kairi probing at my face but I couldn't handle all these strange people. Especially the guys in the changing room. That was weird. Good thing they had a curtain for me to change behind.

I ended up coming out of it all looking like... Well, I looked like a blonde Kairi.

They used spray tan or something because I didn't look pale for once. And, hey, I wasn't orange! My darker skin made my hair appear more blonde, but not like white blonde. It was lightly scrunched, and they put on really plain make-up. When I say 'really plain' I mean a crap ton of what looked like just chapstick and mascara. And I was wearing a white tank top with a pink line going down the side that had a small pink logo in the corner. I was also wearing low rise, dark rinse jeans (skinny, but flared a little at the bottom) that had a matching logo on the little pocket in the pocket, whatever that was called. I looked pretty cute. Almost like a Hollister model, except not pretty.

Well I guess I kind of lied, because even though I'd never admit it to Kairi, and I always pointed out all the flaws in the system, I sort of liked this. It was the same art I always liked, but applied in a new way.

I came out of the dressing room to see Roxas standing there in all his cocky glory.

"Glad to see you showed up."

"Way to greet your fellow prisoner, coffee girl. They said I can't even take pictures! And that was the only reason I decided to even help Kairi with this in the first place." Roxas came over to me to complain. I noticed said redhead scurried off to do some 'work'. And I got my first glimpse of the photographer. He was blonde and had a goatee and thick rimmed black glasses. But oh so hip.

"Oh boo-hoo, I thought I was only helping with the layout and look what I got sucked in to."

"But I don't see you telling her off and going home. I've told you before to be your own person."

"Like you have the right to lecture me about my problems. You're so messed up, I'm surprised you can even form words." And I really don't care that that made no sense whatsoever. With Roxas, I don't really have to try.

"Be that way. Let's just get this over with." He walked ahead of me and towards the photographer on set. I hoped he would trip over something. At the very least, it gave me a chance to see what he was wearing since I failed to notice before. He had on pretty much what he normally did. They didn't really do much. '_He better not be given the satisfaction of him being perfect for modeling. I mean, not by me. Since I don't think that._'

I shook my head to rid myself of those sinful thoughts and returned my attention to his clothes. He too was wearing dark rinse jeans, so we matched. And he was wearing a loose looking white t-shirt. I took note there was a little logo at the bottom of his too. And he was wearing this weird necklace that made him look rugged. If that was possible to do for a necklace on a guy. That made me think, it was weird not wearing my necklace I always did. It was habitual to feel at it when I was nervous, but now I would have to be content with fidgeting with my hair.

"Naminé, come over here." I walked over to the photographer, whom was calling for me, and he began talking about what we were going for today. The terms he was using confused me and I wasn't sure what to do, so I just decided to do what Roxas told me to. '_That will never happen again. I will not allow it._' This was much harder than taking test photos like a few weeks ago. But I liked a good challenge.

We just stood there for a while looking at various places and making the faces he wanted while he took pictures.

"Okay, let's do some partner work now." I looked to Roxas then back to Kairi to glare at her. She found it fun to stand by the photographer and smile creepily at us. "Roxas, just put your right arm around her waist and your left resting on her side." Roxas looked annoyed as he did so. I understand since he does this kind of thing for a career and knows how to get the best shot. I just felt awkward, but didn't try to show it. This whole environment was new for me, even though I work around this every day. It was weird being on this side of the lens.

Not to mention, being this close to the guy I hated made me think of wearing his hoodie last weekend. And I still have it too. That was actually a pretty good day. '_Shut up, Naminé. You've already have 'go-on-about-Roxas-and-your-birthday-time'. _

'_He smells like cologne and shampoo, just like his hoodie. That unique scent of his drove me crazy. I guess since I've already accidently admitted he was attractive; it's okay to say to myself now. I just still hate him_.'

I looked up to see Roxas was whispering me orders on what to do. He looked awkward too, so maybe that's okay. "Just relax." I did as he said, taking a deep breath and loosening up. I found myself posed so I was looking down slightly with my eyes closed, but smiling and he was resting his forehead on mine, mirroring my expression. I placed my hands on his chest and positioned my leg so I could lean on it without leaning on him entirely. It was kind of hard to keep my hands still though. His shirt was so soft.

The photographer took a few more shots before telling Roxas to hold me closer. He used these words, not me. I really don't want to say it felt comfortable, but it did. Maybe I _could_ deal with us being friends. Maybe, but nothing more since that'd be a huge transition from enemies. I was too old for that emotion-straining schoolgirl stuff.

My eyes were closed so I was immediately working on autopilot as I felt Roxas move his head so his lips were barely touching my forehead. How weird was that? I didn't react so maybe he'd know we could go straight back to hating each other after this… I hate feelings.

"I think this is enough for today. I don't want to pile on too much for beginners. We can try multiple outfits per shoot later on. I'll see you next week." The photographer sighed and turned away. I wonder how long we were doing this for.

Roxas instantly recoiled his arms and walked to 'his' dressing room without saying anything to me. It felt cold briefly till I adjusted to the room temperature. Maybe he was going into that sad mode again. I hope not. He hadn't even started that till recently, and it kept coming back quicker and quicker. This may be the first time I've actually wanted to be his friend. So then I could just ask him about it and he'd act normal. He just had such out of control mood swings around me.

"That was so cute!" Kairi's cheery voice filled my ears.

"What?" I turned to see her smiling still.

"I said, 'that was so cute!'" She repeated.

"No it wasn't. That was acting. You know how I feel about him and him me. It was all for you. It's just his darned mood swings that are getting in the way." Maybe over explaining and rambling about my inner thoughts wasn't the best route to go.

"Umm… okay then. So are you going to try to be friends with him?" She nudged me and raised her eyebrows in a suggestive manner. I guess it didn't matter what I said, she was always going to go back to that. Weren't ex-girlfriends supposed to be jealous?

"You know, Kairi, I think you need to calm down."

"What? I wasn't the one being crazy moments ago. And I could clearly see the chemistry between you two! Now isn't that what I told you before this all even started?" Darn she was right. But that doesn't mean there actually was chemistry. Roxas is just really good with this kind of thing. Great, now he was confusing me even more than usual. '_Way to just throw in feelings that weren't really there, Kairi. Now you've got me even more messed up!_' No, I'll just stick with hating him and secretly finding out why he was always so sad.

"I hate how confusing you're making this."

"So you admit there are feelings there?"

"No!" I huffed before stalking off to 'my' dressing room. This was one unnecessarily crazy day.

**~*~**

'_Mom, what's wrong with me? I hate this guy. And he hates me. Then all of a sudden he acts all emo and I'm sympathizing him? I mean, seriously, this makes no sense. He was being nice just last week. And this week we were just acting semi-normal with a few normal jabs at each other. And now we have the first photo shoot and he's being nice? Like more than nice, mom, really nice. And Kairi comments on 'how cute we are together' and now I'm even considering being his friend? I am so messed up. You have no idea.'_

Send.

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, Hollister, Final Fantasy XII, or any other copyrighted thing I used.

* * *

First, sorry for the shortness. Second, this chapter is the Saturday after last chapter, so one week. Third, so was this chapter too fluffy, too fast? Because I think it was. I don't know, it just didn't really make sense. But you guys seem to like fluff, so maybe it was a good thing. I just don't want to move things too fast. But now they can emphasize the denial..? I'm just upset with this because I had three months in story to use and I put this all in one chapter. Oh well.. I hope you all liked it! NOW ABOUT THE CHAPTER ITSELF. I snatched away Raslar from FFXII's last name! Muahahahaha.. Well for good reason. He (and Ven) look like Raslar anyways. So it works.... And I had to google image search hollister models to get inspired for their shoot. So I pretty much just described one of the pictures I saw but used those two and Kairi's logo... And I finally revealed the card! I completely made it up as I wrote, but I guess that's not any different from the entire chapter itself. Which is why it may seem inconsistent.. BUT I REALLY HOPED YOU LIKED IT.

**GoldenSnitch07**! I am running out of clever ways to thank you.

And this chapter's shout-out goes to **Ginki**! Because I forced you to read and review this. Your reviews were so silly.... So everyone, get reviewin' and maybe you will get a shout-out someday too! :)

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_Please review. No flames please. :)_


	11. September 6th

_B a r e l y _**Legal**

"What're you doing?" I was currently sitting on the couch staring at my phone for the last hour or so, that's what I was doing.

"Nothing." I glanced over to see Kairi walk over with some popcorn.

"Whatever." She rolled her eyes. "Have some." She offered the buttery goodness and I couldn't help but oblige.

There was an awkward silence as Kairi flipped through the TV channels, muttering something about 'there's never anything good on TV on Sundays!' I watched the screen flicker repetitively through the menu before she finally decided on some sappy love movie. "Finally something good!" Of course.

"Hey, Kairi." I turned to her, sneaking some more popcorn in the process.

"Yes?" She turned her gaze from the couple on screen to my face.

"Do _you_ think I should text Roxas? Because I can't decide. You know how we don't get along, but I can't stop thinking of how you and Aerith want us to. Plus I want to figure out why he's been acting so strangely." I let this all out in one big breath.

"Umm… well duh. Do it!" Her smile grew huge. I felt like Alice and she was the Cheshire Cat. Did I mention I hate the Cheshire Cat? It's freaky.

"Stop that." Her smile faltered.

"Well, you gonna text him?" There that smile was back. She picked up my phone that I hadn't realized I'd set down and handed it back to me. "Just say 'what's up?' or something. Talk about me." That normally wouldn't have been good advice, but it actually fit here. Kairi was the only thing we could agree about. She was a crazy person.

"Okay." I took another handful of popcorn before selecting Roxas in my cell phone.

_To: Roxas_

_From: Naminé_

_hey roxy. :) _

I really did feel like I was back in high school. I mean, seriously? Roxy? …I slapped my head in frustration, causing Kairi to take my phone and read my sent message.

"You are such a loser." She teased.

"Give that back." I snatched my phone back whilst sticking my tongue out at her. I took her laughing as a distraction so I could take some more popcorn before retreating to my room upstairs.

I crashed onto my bed, allowing my hair to splay all around me in a mess. I stared at my cell phone screen for a few seconds before rolling over to my iPod dock, turning on the tunes. '_Why did I say that to him? I know I want to be nice for once since I've met him, but that was way too over the top._' I really need to stop over reacting to everything.

_To: Naminé_

_From: Roxas_

_what do you want? and don't call me that._

Okay, that wasn't too bad. But now I didn't know what to say. Oh yea, talk about his ex-girlfriend. That works.

_To: Roxas_

_From: Naminé_

_oh nothing. that's just me attempting niceness xD……so i think kairi has gone crazy with the photoshoot thing..she keeps calling it cute. crazy, right? haha_

I don't know why I was doing this…

_To: Naminé_

_From: Roxas_

_well yea, she's just different. you're just jealous of my acting._

Thank goodness he didn't catch on to how random I was being.

_of course i am. you tend to brag about yourself every second..oh well..i tend to ignore you after a while. so how's your car?_

Was that too fast for a subject change? I hope not. But maybe we can get along.

'_it's amazing. like me. so we should gang up on kairi next shoot. make her and sora give it a whirl.'_

'_they'd like it too much. Lets just stick with us..'_

'_you just like being close to me'_

'_oh excuse me mr. I cant be nice to namine then all of a sudden be nice and then ignore her.'_

'_yea yea. whatever coffee girl.'_

'_oh roxy… *shakes head*'_

'_stop that! but on the photo shoot subject, maybe I can help you…. you seem to be enjoying yourself..besides, you're not that horrible. Just listen closer to what I tell you next time..'_

That was random.

'_okay then. as long as you promise to not act all emo afterwards. or ever, cuz that's annoying.'_

'_oh sorry.'_

He apologized! Was it possible that the guy I had deep hate for at one time, could actually be civil?

We just went on like this for half an hour or so before he said he had to go. Maybe we could be friends. I was actually willing to try if he was. And being how crazy I can be with him involved, this was a huge step for me. I was normally so calm and always trying to better people so maybe this could just be my latest project since Kairi was a bust. Roxas Nabradia: potential nice person.

**~*~**

"Morning, Naminé." Wow, he actually said my name. I smiled at this. "Oh sorry, I mean coffee girl." He smirked causing me to frown.

"Good morning to you too, Roxy." He nearly dropped his coffee.

"I was hoping you'd forgotten that." I kept on my big smile, moving over to Aerith.

"You two look like you're semi-getting along. Did I miss something this weekend? Because just last week you were ignoring each other. And the week before that you were hating each other. Then again, I shouldn't be surprised." She said all this whilst looking at the checklist in her hand. Then she turned her gaze to me. "Nice outfit."

I looked down to remember what Kairi dressed me in today. It was a thin long sleeved white shirt with a little vest over it with matching dark skinny jeans and black ballet flats. She kept it simple today. Her transition from summer clothes to fall clothes was always her worst, though you wouldn't be able to tell unless she complained to you about it for two hours the previous night.

"Oh, thanks. And about Roxas, I'm going to try and be nice. _Try _is the keyword."

"Finally! That's what I keep telling him." She laughed, before her phone started ringing. "Sorry, Naminé, I have to take this." She began walking off in another direction, leaving me alone once more.

I guess it's time I start doing Jessica's work. And to think I wanted to go into the art field. At least Roxas was doing something he loved, I was stuck with fetching papers and running errands. And as much as I don't want to admit it, the most fun I've had in this building was the photo shoot last Saturday.

**~*~**

**Two Weeks Later**

[_Roxas' _**POV**:]

There's something really weird going on. And I think there's a part of me that's enjoying it. Naminé has started acting nice. Normally she just hated me or went along with whatever mood I was in. And the weird part is, I'm actually being nice back. I haven't been this close to a girl in a long time. Ever since _her_. _She_ was the reason I started blocking out everyone from my life. _She's_ the reason I'm afraid of being weak. But I've progressed since then. I was able to befriend Aerith through Cloud. And then date Kairi. That was a huge step. That was when I started being homesick again. I guess I was fighting off relationships for so long I didn't realize how cold I've become. And now that Naminé's ignoring my attitude, I can actually let down that shield and be nice back. But I'm still confused. She's just another friend. Yes, a friend. We've been getting along for once, so I think we're actually friends now.

My ringtone began singing loudly from the coffee table in front of me. I grabbed it, glancing at the now familiar name, before answering.

"Hey, Roxas." Naminé's soft voice came through my phone, calming my out of control thoughts.

"What do you need?" I managed to not add sarcasm to that.

"A distraction. Kairi's taking me shopping. Again." She sighed heavily.

"You want me to come to whatever store you're at or something?" My sarcasm returned.

"That might actually be a good idea." She laughed. Once again, despite our new friendship, I was still getting these weird feelings from the little things she'd do. But we just got past hating each other, so I don't want to ruin it. Maybe I do really need to go back home. I hadn't thought about it in a while, and it may make me think of _her_ even more, but I do kind of need it. No matter how weak it makes me. I couldn't handle all this on my own. "Hello?"

"Huh? Oh sorry." I paused again. "Just tell Kairi that you're a grown adult and get the heck out of there." I joked, trying to regain our conversation.

"You're a jerk." Her laugh filled my ears once again. "How about your reward for this will be us coming over after we're done and Kairi can show you all the things she bought and explain why it was a good buy? In detail."

"Don't be like that. You want me to be mean to you again?"

"No." She pouted. Then I heard what sounded like Kairi yelling at Naminé for talking on the phone and not paying attention to her enough. "Sorry, I have to go. Talk to you later, I guess."

"Bye." The line went dead. I leaned forward, setting my phone back down, and continued to stare at the muted television. I raked a hand through my spiky hair, trying to calm myself down. So much has happened to me ever since I met her. And I don't know what to do. But I must have learned how to hide it since we're getting along. The bad thing is that our 'hatred turning into friendship problem' has bloomed into 'friendship turning into more-than-friends problem'. And I really don't think we're ready for anything like that yet. I know I'm not.

So maybe I can just ignore it, and go back to being homesick. That can be my new problem. And Naminé will just be there for support I guess. I wonder if she's actually getting anything out of this. I've only seemed to have gotten her to stop worrying about other people so much.

I got up, suddenly deciding today would be the perfect day to hang out at Cloud's place.

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or fancy QWERTY cell phones (as Naminé and Roxas have). Even though I didn't actually say that in the story.

* * *

So this chapter was a week late, but I hope that's okay. It was for good reason. I had some major writer's block for this story and so I took a day and re-read the whole thing so I could get back in the groove. And it worked! Because now I'm happy to be writing it again. Plus it was the holidays, so it probably wasn't missed too much. MERRY (late) CHRISTMAS. Anyways, I have decided it was about time to get Naminé and Roxas agreeing.** GoldenSnitch07** knows how crazy I've been about it. Thank you, darling! So I guess from now on they're going to be friends..? It should be fun to write. And I hope you enjoyed those other holiday-esque oneshots I wrote. I got some pretty nice feedback on them. So thanks! ...There isn't much more to say about this chapter. It's pretty straight forward. I mean I brought back Roxas' homesickness and explained a little more of his past, but that's all. AND I GAVE THE CHAPTERS TITLES. I hope that's useful. This chapter will just have the date for the second part (not the Sunday, the day after)since two dates may be confusing. :)

This week's shout-out goes to **SharleaNorth**. You're awesome and I love you're reviews! It's like reading your thoughts while you're reading instead of just "COOL~!" or "THAT WAS SO GOOD UPDATEE!". Not that I've ever gotten that review before, but kudos to you, deary, for being thoughtful! So all of you reading this, drop a review and you may get a shout-out someday too! :)

HAPPY (slightly early) NEW YEAR!

* * *

_Please review. No flames please :)_


	12. September 22nd

_B a r e l y _**Legal**

"Hey, Nam." Kairi greeted me as I walked in the apartment after a hard day's work.

"Hey, Kai." I set my bag down and continued to strip myself of the light jacket I was wearing, placing it on its rightful hook.

"Do you remember when I first asked you about helping with the store?" How could I forget?

"Why?" I went on with my after-work routine of grabbing a granola bar and heading upstairs.

"Get back down here." I turned to see Kairi sitting at the table, intent on finishing her conversation. She normally waits till I change to ask me stuff.

I sighed, walking back down and taking a seat next to her.

"Anyways, I told you Roxas would come over to help with things. And if you haven't noticed, it's just been us two talking about it. So I decided to have him over for dinner tonight so we can discuss some more advertising. We only have until the end of January to finish with everything, including photo shoots, and I want to be sure the store will be a hit." Kairi was planning on opening it around then. We seemed to be working along fine with things, so this didn't really affect me. And since Roxas and I have been getting along, I could care less if he came over. Now if she would've told me that a month ago I would've thrown a fit. I really have been maturing.

"Sounds good. So did you want me to make dinner?"

"You seem calm." Did she _want_ me to freak out? I've finally returned to my level of maturity before I met Roxas and she's upset? I've just gotten used to life after school is all.

"I've learned to deal with your madness finally." I smiled, going over to the kitchen. "So what did you have in mind?"

**~*~**

"Naminé!" I looked up from the stove to see Kairi standing with her arms crossed, staring at me. I noticed she was already changed into a gray v-neck that had a bright pink flower design on it and rinse jeans.

"What?" I turned the stove off, moving the pot off the heat.

"You need to go get dressed." Of course. I looked down at myself; I was still wearing what I wore to work and an apron.

"But the garlic bread." I whined, looking at the oven. Okay, maybe I wasn't _that_ mature. Sometimes I liked it when Kairi treated me like a doll, but now wasn't one of those times. Even the people from the last photo shoot couldn't make me change. Kairi still doesn't know I actually was enjoying that.

"Go. I put an outfit on your bed." She grabbed my arm, pulling my oven mitts off in the process, and shoved me towards the stairs. "I'll get them. When it dings, right?" This was not a good idea. But maybe I could hurry up and get back down here without her having to burn herself. Or worse, forgetting and letting the entire apartment catch fire. Oh no…

And so I found myself running upstairs to be met with Kairi's outfit of choice lying on my bed. I first saw a pink plaid dress shirt and a white cami for underneath. Dark skinny jeans and a matching brown belt accompanied the shirt. I didn't notice any jewelry so I was safe to wear my heart necklace. The breath I didn't realize I was holding in escaped me in delight. Kairi managed to not go over the top. This was something casual, and something I probably would wear.

**~*~**

I was just finishing brushing my insistently straight hair when I smelled smoke. How could I forget? The sound of the smoke alarm mixed with Kairi's screams. This couldn't be good.

I bolted downstairs to see Roxas in the kitchen, oven mitts on, and opening the oven door. I began walking over as smoke poured out of the oven. I immediately grabbed a towel and shoved it at Kairi and told her to start waving it in front of the alarm so it would stop beeping. Yes, we knew there was a potential fire.

"Do you have a fire extinguisher?" Roxas looked up at me. I nodded, grabbing it from its hiding place in a nearby cupboard. I handed it to him and watched as he put out the miniature flames. Once it was out he checked to make sure the oven was off and slowly eased the now burnt pan out. He threw it onto the counter and closed the oven door. Great, now we have to have that cleaned, maybe even fixed.

His gaze turned to mine in annoyance. I was probably beat red, this was embarrassing. "Sorry. I was upstairs." I shot Kairi a displeased look before turning around to turn off the television and let myself calm down.

"Thank goodness you came, Roxas. I forgot about it." Kairi spoke up.

"Yea. You're welcome." He tried to keep calm.

Kairi broke the sudden silence with, "Well let's eat!" She grabbed the plates of spaghetti and set them on the dining table, leaving Roxas and I to stand awkwardly in the kitchen.

"I'm really sorry about that. I can't thank you enough." I looked up to see he was once again staring at me.

"Well, I couldn't let it keep burning."

"True." I smiled, trying to lighten the mood. Well, Kairi's big meeting plan was just wasted. "I understand if you want to just go. We can meet some other day."

"What in the world would make you think I would go home to miss out on spaghetti and burnt garlic bread?" He joked.

"Thanks." I said for the millionth time before joining Kairi at the table.

**~*~**

"So it's decided? The next photo shoot is Friday?" Kairi asked, ending our long conversation regarding the store.

"Yea. Then we can go get a drink afterwards." Roxas glanced at me from the corner of his eye. I blushed. "How about a nice place to relax, not some crazy club like before? Just a bar." He finished. That's good. Maybe I can avoid getting drunk and being all over him again, once again assumed since I can't remember what happened.

"Sure."

"What time is it?" I checked my cell phone. As if he wasn't able to check his own.

"Almost 9." Things were going pretty fast.

"That's too early for you to leave. Just hang out." Excuse me, Kairi, but Roxas and I had jobs in the morning.

"Thanks." I know we were over being rude to each other, but I was really tired. So wanting him to leave wasn't really out of character.

We migrated over to the couch, watching some random movie that was on. I was once again in the middle.

**~*~**

I opened my eyes to be met with Roxas' white, sauce-stained shirt. His scent filled my nose causing me to smile.

Wait a second, what just happened?

I sat up and looked around. The television was currently advertising some weight loss program and Kairi was nowhere to be seen. And I was laying on a sleeping Roxas. I checked the time to see two hours had passed. Sure we were friends, but this was weird.

After internally debating whether or not to do so, I shook his arm till his light blue eyes met mine.

"Roxas?" I whispered.

He groaned in response. How attractive. Not.

"You have to leave." He slowly sat up and looked around before his eyes widened in surprise.

"Holy crap! I have to get home. Sorry, Naminé." He stood up, going to put his coat on. I followed him, walking to the door.

"See you tomorrow, Roxas." I smiled.

"Bye." He patted my shoulder before quickly leaving.

That was odd. I suddenly felt much colder.

"Aww!" I looked up to see Kairi coming out of her room.

"Where were you?" I asked, turning the television off and going up to meet her.

"Well I was watching the movie and I looked over to see you both asleep. Then you leaned on him and he put his arm around you and it was so cute!" There she goes with her ideas. I could be mistaken, but I think she may have been glowing with pleasure at the memory.

"We're just friends." That phrase was so weird the first time I said it, but I was used to it now.

"Of course you are." She smiled. That girl sometimes… gosh…

I just ignored her, going into my room. I looked around at the newest picture on my stand of Roxas. He had given it to me the other day, proclaiming I was now worthy to have it. Aerith also explained to me she got a similar one after a year and a half of knowing him. It only took me three weeks after becoming his friend.

Slowly, I made my way to my closet, changing into pajamas, before sliding into bed. I once again found myself thinking of that blonde-haired boy as I fell asleep. It's not like we had any feelings for each other, right?

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. Sorry.

* * *

I apologize for the delayed update! There were some technical difficulties and I couldn't update till today. Anyways, this chapter was pretty much just more of their friendship. And leave it to Kairi to catch the oven on fire. Thank goodness Roxas was there. Speaking of Roxas, wasn't that sleeping thing just the cutest? I couldn't resist. And the last part about the picture was just to show Roxas had warmed up to Naminé quicker than any other girl. I sure do wonder when this denial thing will let up... it's blatanly obvious they are in love with each other. Well, I guess it's going to come up one of these chapters. I also apologize if my dates/math in weeks is wrong. It's hard to keep track.

Thanks, **GoldenSnitch07**, for editing! You're the best co-author I could ever ask for. Then again, I should be careful saying that since I'm now part of a studios (Together with the Sundown Studios). Anyways, I hope your parents weren't too mad about your awesome dust getting everywhere.

This week's shout-out goes to **XStayCloseToMeX**. I really like your reviews. It makes me happy that you like the little things I do for the story. So, everyone keep reviewing, you may be next to get a shout-out! :)

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_Please review. No flames please :)_


	13. September 24th

_B a r e l y _**Legal**

"Look at me. Open your eyes wider. Look like you care." Roxas' whispered advice reached my ears between each semi-blinding camera flash. Today was Friday and we were currently taking pictures of Kairi's pajama line. Her store mostly sold fashionable street clothes although it included a small but impressive pajama collection. The clothes I was currently wearing, my third costume change, was a pair of red and white polka-dot shorts, a white tank top, a red scarf, and a pair of white (with a red hem) knee socks; all adorned with a 'The Kai' logo.

"And stop spacing out." Roxas added, his breath tickling my neck. The ribbed feel of his dark blue shirt felt nice, and his blue and black plaid pants were ever so soft. He was sitting down with one leg crossed in front of him and the other stretched out and I was sitting on his lap. I was supposed to be laughing and he was grinning, whispering in my ear. It was an adorable shot, not as bad as previous positions like moments ago when I was straddling him with my scarf wrapped around his neck, causing him to look at me. That was an odd one.

"Okay, I think we're done for today. We're keeping on schedule, so see you two in a few weeks." Then the photographer turned to talk to Kairi about who knows what.

I eased myself off of Roxas before standing up and helping him up. What a lazy boy. "You did good today." He smiled, going off to his dressing room, not letting me thank him. I'm sure he got enough of me from work. At least we were friends so I could enjoy the day a little more, but I still was not a fan of my job. I've thought about it before and I probably won't forget: I was enjoying modeling more than my actual career choice.

I made my way back into my changing room to put my clothes back on, wondering why I didn't just bring sweats? Oh yea, we made plans to go to a bar. They sold non-alcoholic drinks, didn't they?

**~*~**

"So I _did_want to go to Club Escapade, but since Roxas doesn't like clubs, we can't. So where to?" Kairi looked to Roxas. The three of us were now joined with a couple of Kairi's friends that were at the shoot and I was sure she was going to invite more.

"I actually was thinking about what I said before, and I think it'd be cool to just go back to my place. I have this fun game we can play, and I have drinks, and it'd be nice to hang out with just us." That sounded… nice. It's been awhile since I've just had a normal get together with friends. I've always been with Kairi or out at places with huge groups. "You guys can come too." He addressed Kairi's friends.

"Sounds good. I'll text some people." I looked over to Kairi's phone to see she was looking at Aerith and Ven's names.

"Let's go." I moved to join Roxas as we began our journey to his apartment. This will be the first time I've been there. "Are you sure you want all these people?" I started a conversation once I realized Roxas wasn't going to.

"It's fine. Some will probably leave anyways. I've got a small place." He smiled, glancing at me. He seemed to have been acting happier lately, ever since I told him to, actually. It was like the real Roxas was back, who knew how long it had been since he'd left.

We continued our small talk all the way there.

**~*~**

I didn't realize Roxas' idea of a game was his Wii. But it kept them amused. I was currently leaning against the wall watching Kairi race Sora in some game, sipping some water. Roxas was right, his place was small. But it was cozy and there was just the right amount of people here. In addition to Kairi's friends, Aerith, Cloud, Ven, Aqua, and some other unknowns were here. It was nice. The unknowns were actually Roxas' friends, so I guess it wasn't that bad.

"What're you doing over here?" Roxas joined me in the corner. We were on the raised platform that led to the door to his balcony.

"Just watching. Go enjoy yourself."

"Stop being boring, coffee girl. Come here." He took my hand, leading me to the cramped couch. My nickname still hasn't gone away.

He took a seat, leaving me the tiniest space possible between himself and the red-headed guy I recognized from the studios.

I chose to ignore the inconvenience and soon found myself laughing at how competitive Kairi and Sora were. I was completely lost in the atmosphere until a wheel was shoved in my face.

"Your turn. Kairi just doesn't give up." An exasperated Sora took a seat at my feet and I was forced to race against said redhead.

The thing was, I had no idea whatsoever on how to play this game. And I was once again obligated to listen to Roxas' advice. He took the controller from me a couple of times. What a jerk.

"You're horrible at this." Thank you, Roxas, for stating the obvious. With that he took the controller and finished yet another _round_, not lap, for me. It was like the third time!

"Just enjoy the food." Aerith spoke up, passing around a tray of hors d'oeuvres she brought. She was acting more of a host than Roxas, what with mingling with everyone. He could only follow me around.

"Thanks, Aerith." I took one, enjoying the crisp taste. I'll have to ask for the recipe for whatever this was. Appetizers were never my specialty.

**~*~**

"Bye." Roxas shut the door, leaving us two, Kairi, Sora, and Ven inside. Aqua had to go home since she had some event to get up for in the morning. Maybe I'll get to know her someday.

We were all lounging around Roxas' living area, just talking. Roxas returned to his seat on the couch near me. Kairi and Sora were sitting in the coffee table's (which was moved out of the way) place on the floor and Ven pulled up a chair, leaving his feet to rest on the arm of the couch.

"So remind me again why you two are suddenly best friends?" Ven continued. He was actually a pretty cool guy.

"Shut up, I've told you a thousand times." Roxas teased. He then grabbed the pillow I was snuggling with and put in on my side, laying his head on it and kicking his brother's feet off the couch.

"Get off me." I laughed, poking at one of his spikes.

"No." He shot me a serious look, causing me to laugh more.

"Fine. Be lazy."

"I will."

"And yet you still manage to bicker even as friends." Ven said as he put his feet up again and kicked Roxas back.

"Let's talk about Sora and Kairi." Roxas grumbled, trying to change the subject. I decided to just lean over the arm of the couch instead of fighting off the blonde brat.

"Okay!" Kairi agreed energetically. Sora's smile equaled her enthusiasm. I will never get those two. "Daddy says he wants to meet Sora next weekend, so I'm thinking he approves." She spoke mostly to Sora, considering the personal subject.

"That sounds good, Kai. I can't wait." He placed a kiss on her forehead. I suddenly felt awkward sitting here with Roxas and Ven. I'm sure they would agree. "I'm actually getting pretty tired though; can I stay over at your place? My apartment's being painted."

"Of course." That was a quick conversation. "You coming, Nam?" Kairi asked once she was at the door with Sora.

"You go on. I don't want to continue interrupting your time together."

"Okay, then. See you later." And with that they left. She either didn't get what I was implying or ignored it.

Not too long after Ven left, I received a text from Kairi explaining that I probably shouldn't go home tonight. Of course…

"Are you going to stay here tonight?"

"I guess." I replied, helping Roxas clean up. "I don't want to be a nuisance though." I quickly said after.

"It's cool. You can wear a t-shirt of mine if you want." He gestured to my clothes. Sleeping in skinny jeans and a cashmere sweater probably wasn't the best. I hadn't even thought of that. How nice of him.

"Thanks." I took up on his offer, soon finding myself wearing a shirt of his that was way too big and 'an old pair of boxers'. That was the weird part. But I'd have to get over it.

"You can sleep on the fold-out couch. I get my bed." He smirked. That rude Roxas still hadn't left completely though.

"Fine with me." I said in a monotonous voice, picking up the blanket he had previously heaved in my direction.

**~*~**

[_Roxas' _**POV**:]

This is one heck of a weird night. I'm not sure how to explain it. But here I am sitting on the floor of my room looking down at the blonde girl sleeping on my couch. I wish I wasn't such a creeper. '_Maybe a snack will clear your mind… And then I can fall asleep._' I thought this as I walked downstairs, intending on getting a granola bar. I happened to glance at the clock that read it was two o'clock in the morning. At least it was a Friday, well a Saturday now.

"Hmm… then a big katamari comes and rolls it all up… no, put the gun down… easy mode…" Was Naminé talking in her sleep? If so, she had some whacked up dreams. I walked closer, sitting down on the edge of the 'bed'. She looked so calm. She was snuggled up in the blankets and just looked happy. I guess those crazy dreams were good ones? "Roxas… shut up…" Of course…

I slowly eased myself into a comfortable position on the bed next to her. I just twiddled my thumbs as I listened to her hushed whispers. I always got this weird feeling inside when she'd say my name or brush against me, though I never went back to bed. I convinced myself I wasn't tired and this was funny. But it wasn't, I was being weird. We were just friends; I couldn't make her feel uncomfortable. This was already an awkward situation.

And so as I went to get up and return to my warm bed upstairs a soft hand rested on mine. Her breath was warm on my hand as she said my name once more. I half expected her to wake up and freak out, but she remained quiet. As her grip tightened around my hand, I realized I couldn't move. This is going to be fun to explain in the morning.

Ignoring my thoughts, I expertly got under the covers, trying to sleep and forget about it. Her hand soon found its way up my arm and rested on my chest, the other following suit. I couldn't help but wrap an arm around her almost protectively and allow myself to fall into a gentle sleep.

**~*~**

The next time I woke up I was colder. I looked to see Naminé had rolled over in her sleep, not touching me. I took this opportunity to head back upstairs, leaving my granola bar to sit alone on the counter.

Hopefully I could forget about this and Naminé will never know. We could go back to being friends and life would go on. It's not like we had any feelings for each other, right?

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, Wii, Mario Kart, or any other copyrighted thing I happened to mention.

* * *

Chapter ROXAS is here! And on the 13th, nonetheless. I just had to use his PoV somewhere since it's his chapter. And I made Naminé all cute for him as a prize for getting this far in the story. Well, I just couldn't resist the fluff. I hope it wasn't too overbearing. And it's like where she was drunk, she won't know so it won't really change their relationship except for Roxas picturing it every time he looks at her. *insert "awww"* .. And, yes, I did re-use that last line. I thought it'd be neat to have it repeated, but him thinking about it. So it's like they're so in love, but won't admit it... Or something to that effect. And I think that's all regarding the chapter itself.

Thanks, **GoldenSnitch07**, you're a freaking beast.

**Caitlyn-4479 **was the lucky 100th reviewer and gets a oneshot that will be added shortly. My co-author just needs to go over it for me (which may or may not happen). Thanks again, dear.

This chapter's shout-out goes to **ShadowSpooky** for reviewing twelve times in a row. And each being an actual review. I loved reading them! So you all keep reviewing and you may be shouted out to next! :)

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_Please review. No flames please :)_


	14. October 11th

_B a r e l y _**Legal**

The sweet smell of espresso filled my nose as I sipped from my Styrofoam cup. I always loved those little stirring straws, using them to drink out of as obnoxiously as I can. My eyes darted around the small café a few block from the studios. It had a warmer feel than the normal one I went to. This place had cocoa and dark red colored walls, with green and beige accent colors. It was so comfortable. I noticed some people working hard on their laptops, others chatting with friends, and some just lounging on the arm chairs near the fireplace. It was all very casual; I understood why Roxas came here so much. He claimed it was a nice getaway and reminded him of home.

Ever since we've decided to be friends we've been having Roxy-Nami lunchtime once a week. Any other time we would go our separate ways or have others with us. There is no way we could spend _that_ much time together. You know, too much of a good thing. The word good being defined as friends because I wouldn't want to sound like I'm attracted to him romantically; that would be a big misunderstanding. But it was still nice. We've really gotten to know each other, sharing childhood stories and whatnot. For example, he and Ven used to pretend the stairs were a mountain and climb it in that fashion. I could only imagine how cute that would be. Roxas was currently telling me he would crawl around the house like a dog until his parents finally got him one for Christmas.

"He always followed Ven around though, so he wasn't really mine. But it was hard on all of us when he had to be put down. Then we got a new puppy years later. She's probably about five by now." I loved hearing about his childhood. It always made me think of growing up with my sister. Things were always so simple back then, it didn't surprise me how homesick Roxas sounded at times.

"I bet you miss her."

"I do. Her name's Mira." Things went into an awkward silence after that. It always seemed to after he talked about home.

"So we should be getting back." I broke the silence, glancing at my cell phone.

"Or else Jess will eat you. Then throw you up since you'd be too many calories." I laughed at his joke and threw away my empty cup before following him into the cool fall air. I couldn't believe it was October already. I guess life was boring without the drama, it all just blurred by without my notice. Though I still have been having weird thoughts about Roxas when he'd bump into me or wink from across the room at work. He sure knew how to keep under my skin.

**~*~**

"Naminé, I want you to go get me twelve of those hats I like for the shoot in an hour. Be back in time." Jess waved me off after calling me up to her office. Since when has she ever been in there? Never, that's when. She was starting to act like the boss in one of the movies Kairi and I watched over the weekend. And I didn't like it. She was supposed to be all creative and artsy and work with design, but now it was like she didn't even care. Was this what was going to happen to me someday? Was my dream job really a hoax? I know it wasn't the first time I've thought about my career choice, so maybe that was a sign. I just wondered if modeling really was my calling. I wasn't too great at it, nor did I have the right look. Maybe it was just the atmosphere. Anything in a relaxed photo shoot like that would be awesome.

The loud beeping of cars brought me back into reality as I found myself attempting to cross the busy city streets. Now I just had to find the right store and get the right hat and get back in fifty minutes…

**~*~**

I really shouldn't have been surprised when I came home and clothes are flung in my face and I'm told we're going out somewhere. But I had a reason this time. Kairi said we were going to meet with her parents. They scared me sometimes. Sure her dad was sweet and her mom only wanted the best, but they seemed cold to me. Maybe it was because they had such a tight family and other than that it was all business so it was hard for them to be with people like myself. They were used to other rich people and not their daughter's best friend.

At least Sora was going. Apparently he had hit it off with them last weekend. And I believe she said something about seeing if Roxas could meet us there. That may or may not be a good thing. And I didn't expect him to actually come considering it _was _Radiant Garden's richest people and we were merely talking about Kairi's store. I could probably handle it without his help.

I didn't notice till now how much time we did actually spend together. We were with each other a lot outside of work; I'm surprised I haven't gone crazy yet, despite the friendship.

"That looks good." I heard Kairi's perpetually cheery voice say from the doorway between my room and my bathroom.

"Thanks." I continued to examine myself in the mirror, proud of myself for doing my own make-up since Kairi was busy doing hers at the time. She didn't come over to fix it, so I took that as a good sign. We must've been going somewhere very regal considering our outfits. My dress was simple, black with thick straps. It was very elegant, what with being matched with black stilettos and what not.

"Let me do your hair. I want to try an up-do." Kairi walked over and began pulling out pins and hairspray bottles from the cabinets. I was once again a doll as Kairi did my hair up in a sophisticated bun. Then she fixed my make-up. Of course it couldn't possibly have been okay before. But I just kept smiling and occupied myself with seeing what Kairi was wearing.

She had on a dark gray strapless cocktail dress that fit close to her curves and ended right above the knee. It had a big ruched bow in the front, making it look even classier. She paired it with matching gray stilettos and straight hair with a thick black headband. She looked very nice as per always.

"Sora will be here any minute. Do you want me to call Roxas again? Maybe he can meet us here instead." Kairi thought out loud as we walked downstairs. I really didn't care if Roxas came or not. I'm sure he had something better to do than talk to the most influential people in the city for hours. Oh yea, I was nervous about that too.

"Whatever you want." But before she could retrieve her cell phone a knock came at the door and she rushed over to answer it.

Waiting there in the doorway was Sora, dressed in dark gray slacks, a white dress shirt, black tie, and a dark gray vest. He matched Kairi. Then I noticed a messy haired blonde standing behind him.

"What're you doing here?" I asked when they came in. I didn't want to sound rude, but I wasn't expecting him to actually come on his own will.

"I actually ran into Roxas here on the way over so we came together." Sora smiled whilst wrapping an arm around Kairi's waist. That left said blonde and I to stand awkwardly facing them. I looked over to him and he nodded in confirmation.

Following that explanation was more pointless chatter until we decided it was time to leave. We were going to an extremely top scale restaurant overlooking the city. Needless to say, I became even more nervous. Like I said before, I'm sure Kairi's parents didn't hate me, but it was still awkward to be with them.

And since this was a special event we had a shiny black car and driver awaiting us outside the apartment building. This was only the second time this had happened, the first being when Kairi turned 21 and we had a big party to go to; provided by her parents. I was once again reminded how rich Kairi really was.

"You look… nice."

"Huh?" My deep thought was broken by Roxas' quiet voice from the seat beside me. I didn't realize I was staring straight ahead out the window past Kairi and Sora's heads. They were sitting across from us.

"I said you look nice." Roxas repeated. "I mean, I've never seen you all fancied up, just work clothes." That was a lie. He saw me in photo shoot clothes too. '_Geez, Naminé, just take a compliment for once. Tell him he cleans up good too._'

"You too." I murmured, not even looking at him. But I knew he was wearing black slacks and a white shirt and black tie. I wonder if rolled up sleeves, loose tie, and no sports jacket would be acceptable at the restaurant.

Well I thought he looked good. Attractive even, but I don't like him! '_I've admitted his attractiveness before, so I had no reason to be debating this in my head. Stop being dumb, Naminé._'

"Why so sad?"

"No reason." I brought my eyes up to meet his. Why was I being such an emo kid? I was acting how he used to. And there was no reason. Sure I was nervous and was trying to not think of him strangely, but that didn't call for a mood swing. "Tired I guess." I smiled.

"Whatever, coffee girl." He nudged my shoulder playfully and laughed before beginning a conversation with Sora. They were fast friends.

**~*~**

Okay, I think I was back to myself. But I really was tired now. It's been about an hour and a half of sitting and barely eating. Sora and Roxas just ordered dessert and I was listening to what big opening party Kairi's parents were thinking up for 'The Kai'. That was still a couple months away, but I guess they wasted no time.

At least I got over being nervous. The only thing I was worrying about was how to lean on my hand without appearing rude or messing up my make-up.

"So that evening we will go to our Upper East townhouse for the celebration; only the best for our precious daughter." Kairi's mother cooed about one of their many homes. She flipped her long auburn hair behind her for the millionth time tonight, the curls being constantly in her way. Being around the Sanadas made it blatantly obvious where Kairi got her looks _and _personality.

"Thanks, mom. You guys are the coolest parents ever." And Kairi still managed to act like she was fifteen while around them.

"I think your desserts are here boys." Kairi's father gestured at the extremely nervous server behind them.

"Yum!" Sora unnecessarily _exclaimed_ taking the plate from her hand before she could set it down properly. He got some kind of yogurt thing in a fancy glass goblet. Yes, it was a goblet.

But my attention was drawn to the chocolate delight sitting in front of Roxas. I involuntarily made a whining sound. Thank goodness no one heard me.

Well except for the owner of said dessert. "Want some?" He asked whilst taking a bite, making an over emphasized noise of satisfaction.

I nodded slightly, glad everyone else were in their own conversations. Before I could grab my own fork, Roxas scraped off a small piece onto his and offered it to me.

"Gross." I continued my search for my own utensil. I would not be forced to eat after somebody. But alas I could not find any silverware since it was already taken away to clear away the table. "Fine." I stared at Roxas' fork, closing my eyes tightly as he insisted on feeding me. Not only did I not want to eat off his fork, but he failed at feeding people. It wasn't cute like Kairi and Sora would be; it was disgusting.

"Good, huh?" Roxas smiled, putting down the fork and grabbing another.

"Was that a clean fork?"

"Yes. I wouldn't make you use mine." He said as if it were obvious. Now I felt dumb. I didn't even notice him getting a new one while I was looking for my own.

"Thanks. And yes, it was good." I responded, taking a sip of my white wine. I was good with wine, not the heavy stuff. Starting small. Well, the second time around at least.

**~*~**

I sat in front of my glowing laptop screen remembering the evening and recapping some things to my mother.

'_Hey, Mom._

_Things are being all uneventful lately. I tried to make something of tonight and yet nothing really happened. But I think I heard something about yet another outing in a few weeks. Halloween is coming up… And there are more shoots in the future. Roxas was still being friendly and still attractive-ish. Kairi said we looked cute tonight at dinner and that we matched. Yes, black and black match, good job Kairi. But I guess you know how crazy she can be…. But about Roxas. We've been getting closer over the past few weeks. He's making me homesick! I feel bad for him though since he hasn't even gone home in the past four years. I still hear him muttering about being 'weak' sometimes. Maybe he's gotten over it and wants to go home. I'll try to help. I get that from you. Darn you mom and your kindness. _

_Love Naminé.'_

I slowly got up from my desk after sending that message and lay across my bed. I remember when my life was so busy and I made problems for myself by worrying about other people and every little thing that happened to me. But now that I've been hanging out with Roxas, I've calmed down. I'm not the same person that got hired by Radiant Studios in the summer. I'm a new person. But part of this new person wants something to happen. And with Kairi I'm sure it's going to. I'll just have to wait.

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, Persona 3, or any other copyrighted thing mentioned.

* * *

Sorry this chapter was kind or bland. I guess it can be assumed to be just a filler. Since it's kinda obvious what day I'm leading up to. Anyways, this chapter was added on time! Yay! In this chapter I introduce Roxas and Namine having lunch dates. Roxas' dog was named by **TheRealGaiSensei**. She's an akita, since after **startscribbling12** had them in one of her amazing stories, I couldn't resist the furry creature. And now I can't stop thinking of how baby Roxas and Ven would act. I bet Naminé's thinking that she will have a baby Roxas someday, provided by Roxas. Meh, or that's my fangirl side talking again. Anyways, can you guess who Kairi's parents are? I've provided a last name and have hinted it like a crazy person. I also decided to bring back Naminé's feelings for her family and outlook on her current situation (job, personality, Roxas, etc.) if that's of any help to follow along better. And I resisted Roxas' PoV. I thought I'd save that up for a little while. Little while being undefined. But aren't they so cute together anyways? Yes, yes they are. And lastly, I hinted the end of the story again, so it shouldn't be a surprise. But there's still A LOT more to come... Oh, and I believe the date is indeed correct because it's been a week since Sora's 'meet the Sanadas' date (October 2nd), and it's a Monday. They do not get Columbus Day off (not like most businesses do) since it's not in this universe. They live in Radiant Garden, people.... And now I think that's all. :)

Thanks, **GoldenSnitch07**, for sticking with me for this story! I'm glad you like where's it's going, that's a good emotion in amazing co-authors :)

This week's shout-out goes to **Idthon** for still sticking around and reading my stuff. It's much appreciated, *insert name that I can't announce on the internet due to cyberstalkers and misc. creepers*! So thanks....... Do you, random reader, want to be next to be shouted out to? Then don't just sit there and go ahead and review! :)

* * *

_Please review. No flames please :)_


	15. October 24th

_B a r e l y _**Legal**

I would like to refresh myself on all the happenings of this past week. Not much has happened, but as I sit and stare at the blank television, it's the only thing I can think of to occupy my time. Kairi's out doing _something_ with Sora. And Roxas said he was working out. Like hell he is, he owns a Wii, so what does he expect me to think he's doing?

Anyways, my week was uneventful but still worth mulling over. At least that's what I'm going to tell myself for future reference since it was mostly all about one event involving Roxas.

_**Sunday **_**(October 17****th****)**

I spent the entirety of Sunday sleeping. Almost. Okay, not really, but I slept in at least. Anyways, the previous night, Kairi had kept me up watching some movie marathon on television till two in the morning. And so I was obligated to sleep all day, I owed it to myself. But of course as I was dreaming of cupcakes and race cars I was startled awake.

This time it was not by a certain redhead's shouts, but the upbeat singing of my text message ringtone. And so I groggily reached for my cell, my hand not enjoying the freezing temperature of my room, much preferring the warmth of my covers.

Once I felt around for a few moments I grabbed said device and brought it under the covers and to my face. It wasn't till now that I actually opened my eyes, too scared to give them contact to the light. And so I hid in my make shift cocoon and gently pressed 'view now'.

_To: Naminé_

_From: Roxas_

'_hey nami, guess what? I'm not going to be there all week!! haha, sucks to be you'_

Was he drunk? It was one in the afternoon on a Sunday and he sends me this crap message. It didn't even make any sense. Roxas was always at least some degree of seriousness when he texts me, this couldn't have been him.

_To: Roxas_

_From: Naminé_

_Waat r u talking abut?_

I didn't bother to go back and fix my pointless typos. He'd get the gist of it, besides he deserved it after his excited message earlier.

_To: Naminé_

_From: Roxas_

_nice typos. anyways, jess is sending me to some photographer convention type thing.. i'm gonna call you, this is a long message'_

It really wasn't, but whatever, Roxas. I guess he was calm now. This was the kind of message I expected from that blonde haired brat. Yes, he was still a brat. I think he always will be.

My thoughts were soon interrupted by my cell phone singing a familiar tune and so I immediately answered before it would play again.

"Hello?"

"As I was saying, Jess got word of this convention type thing for professional photographers. She said she was sorry it was so short notice and at an odd time of the year, but I doubt she's serious about that. Anyways, it's really up scale. If I wasn't already such a great photographer, I'd learn a lot. There's going to be some popular companies and stuff like that there."

"Sounds cool." That was all I could say, this didn't really excite me and his ego no longer bothered me. And there wasn't a shoot this week; things would be cool on that area. I had no worries.

"But she's sending Aerith to come supervise me I guess."

"What? Why?" Did she _want_ me to go crazy at work this week? Does she trust Roxas alone with Aerith for a week?

"Probably just to bug you. But don't worry; I'll be back before you even know it." He attempted to flirt, his joking ways never amusing me.

"Whatever, Roxy." There was silence and I could picture him pouting on the other line.

"Should I be worried about you getting a better job?" I asked, thinking about what he had said about other companies.

"Nah, I like it where I am." I couldn't tell if he was telling the truth or lying for my sake. "Besides, if I went anywhere else, it'd be my own company." His cockiness shown through as he spoke. Times like these were when Roxas' old persona would get thrown in to his nice personality. It surprisingly caused a great mix.

"That's good. So I guess I'll have to survive all week without you."

"Yea, go out to lunch by yourself and shop with Kairi. Be your old self for once." But what if I liked my new self more? "You'll live."

"Oh, thank you." I masked my sadness with sarcasm. But what did I have to be sad about? I could survive a week without Roxas. It'd only be healthy separation. What am I talking about? We're not even dating. Like I'd even want to.

"Well I just wanted to let you know. I have to catch a plane. I'm going to Destiny Islands. I'm just going to think of it as a vacation." He laughed. I could tell he delayed hanging up the phone with those last details. It made me kind of sad since Destiny Islands is my home town. I would think he may even run into my family, but the main island has gotten so much bigger over the years, those chances are ridiculous. But part of me wishes that I was with him.

"Sounds like a plan. Bye, Roxas." I took my time to say his name. I was glad he called me. Now I'd have to wait till next time he'd be able to contact me to hear his voice. Who knew how long it'd take him? Or if he'd even call?

"Bye, Naminé." '_Yea, Naminé, be a big girl._'

_**Monday **_**(October 18****th****)**

The next day was extremely annoying to say the least. I woke up in the morning, no; not feeling like P. Diddy, but like the previous night was depressing and caused a very restless sleep. Thus I was tired and felt like a ton when trying to maneuver around my room and to the shower.

And after the shower I didn't feel all that refreshed, despite the bright yellow shirt and skinny jeans I was wearing. I was just fastening my belt and moving on to my heels when Kairi began yelling about spilling something in the kitchen. And so my journey continued as I mopped up the gallon of milk she spilled and finished getting ready before heading to day one of work sans Roxas and Aerith.

Jess greeted me with a pile of paper work and things I didn't really care about. She informed me that I looked even paler, despite being forced to go tanning with Kairi the past few weeks, and that there was some new diet she was trying that I had to pick up stuff for. I was a prisoner in this place without Aerith or Roxas.

That was how my morning was. Then lunch was just like when I first started here but even worse since it was cold. I ended up going to Roxas' favorite place today to get some feeling of warmth. It didn't really work without my blonde companion. Now there I go missing him and he wasn't even gone a day yet. I am pathetic. I am determined to get over it!

And so I spent the afternoon trying to talk to the red-haired man that was at Roxas' place that one day. I hadn't realized he worked here. He mostly did set related things. I kind of remember him from a really long time ago. Barely. I think he's a funny guy, but it doesn't seem like he's too fond of me. Probably because I'm acting like a crazy person; hopefully we can be friends at some point. Maybe I'll add him online. And I've got his name memorized, Axel, I think.

That night was just like any other. I immediately changed into sweats and munched on a granola bar before ordering in dinner; take-out was a life saver. Kairi was absent most of the night. She didn't show up till right before our favorite television show was on. She claimed she was at Sora's all day. But knowing her, she was probably just shopping and didn't want to tell me for who knew what reason.

And so we sat and watched our show, with popcorn of course, like we used to. How boring.

_**Tuesday **_**(October 19****th****)**

Today was almost exactly a repeat of yesterday except Axel decided to talk to me today. He was rather lively; maybe he was tired yesterday? And so we became fast friends, joking and talking about our favorite blonde rascal.

Speaking of Roxas, he has failed to contact me. If I didn't know how harmless Destiny Islands was, I'd be worried. He could handle himself anyways. But every time I'd check my phone for messages or missed calls, I'd see Jess out of the corner of my eye smirking. Maybe she kept Roxas' schedule full so he wouldn't be able to talk to me. But I have no idea why that would be. I still worked fine with or without him there and I didn't think she liked him and considered me a threat. Even if she did, she shouldn't think that since I wasn't interested in him like that. Despite all his cocky self proclamations of sexiness.

She was a freak, that's all I learned today. Or just emphasized.

_**Wednesday **_**(October 21****st****)**

Today I just talked to Axel somewhat and avoided Jess. I do enjoy his sense of humor.

Oh, and Kairi marked the next photo shoot for early November.

Other than that, nothing happened. Then again, nothing happens when Roxas _is_ here. And he still hasn't talked to me yet. But I wasn't bothered, go me!

_**Thursday **_**(October 20****th****)**

Kairi told me that she was going to take me out to dinner tonight since she had a date with Sora tomorrow and had store related plans over the weekend. I had nothing better to do and so I agreed.

And so I went up and got dressed into the pre-planned outfit of a loose white blouse over a green cami and rinse skinny jeans with those fancy UGG boots. Casual was nice. Kairi mirrored me, but her shirt was pink and her cami was white.

"I was thinking of just going to a sushi bar." Kairi mentioned as we walked out of the apartment building.

"Why not?" I smiled, agreeing with her suggestion.

And so we were off to our usual sushi place. It was very nice with its dark colors and Japanese style. I'm not very good at descriptions.

"So have you thought about getting into a relationship?" Kairi broke our casual conversation once we got our food.

I almost choked on my water at the sudden subject change. "No?"

"Because Roxas is just a hot single guy in the Islands, who knows what could happen? You need to snatch him up quickly."

"I don't think I really need to do that." I said, not wanting yet another conversation about this with Kairi. The girl was still obsessed with us getting together. She remained quiet, her gaze going around the restaurant at the many young men that were staring in our direction. That tended to happen when I was out with Kairi and Sora wasn't with us. Even before Sora, that happened all the time. Then she did something that made me worried. She winked at one of them and gestured them over. For once I was hoping this was for me. She couldn't just do that to Sora! The brunette she was eyeing was currently on his way over. I could smell his cologne from here.

"Hey," she said flirtatiously, making me more worried. "My friend here wanted to say hi." What was she doing? We did not discuss this. I at least deserved an explanation for this behavior.

"Hi." I said, not wanting to look like a fool. But I was clearly not interested.

"Hey, there, pretty lady." What a player, him and his gelled hair. "How you doin'?" He winked.

"Lovely. You?" I played along once I noticed Kairi's glare. She had a point to be made apparently.

"Oh I just noticed an angel over here and decided to come over. Single I hope?" He asked, smile never fading.

"Why, ye--"

"Sorry she's not. Maybe you should go." Kairi shooed him off as soon as he was here. I almost felt bad for the guy. He was probably wondering why he was called over in the first place.

"What was that for?" I asked once he was out of earshot.

"Just making a point that you could get any guy you wanted, and easily. In case you ever lose interest in Roxas." Wait a minute, was she giving up? Was Kairi actually not getting her way? "Anyway, you need to practice flirting. You may even get to use it on Roxas when he comes back. That is, if you're still interested, like I already said." What was she getting at? I'm confused now.

"So you want me with Roxas?" I asked.

"If that's what you want." She smiled before picking up another piece of sushi and placing it in her mouth.

I was interrupted by the waiter asking for any refills.

_**Friday **_**(October 22****nd****)**

That night kept going as if nothing happened and she said nothing the following day.

That night, however, Kairi continued to make me flirt with random guys by taking me to a very small bar. I didn't really want to, but I couldn't just leave. I forgot my key. I didn't really understand the point in this. She could just go dance with Sora and leave me home, but no, she forced me to come. I thought she had some date planned, but I guess not anymore. Maybe she just wanted me to live it up a little without Roxas there. And so wanted me to flirt to distract myself? I wasn't all depressed about him being gone so this was all unnecessary. She is a freak.

But here I am talking to a dark-haired man with that Abercrombie look at the bar. He was telling me some pointless story when my phone started vibrated in my pocket. I retrieved it to see Roxas was the one texting me. Finally a legit reason to leave! I had to remember to act casual though.

"—And then she said 'sorry guys I'm late' so I was like 'no probl--"

"Sorry, I have to take this." I gestured to my phone, pretending it was a call as opposed to just a text.

I started to talk to my phone as I walked away before making it outside and looked at the screen. I had to act cool and not be mad that he ignored me. Oh I get it now! That's why Kairi wanted to get me out, because I was mad at Roxas. I didn't miss him. Nope, I did not. Never, right?

[_Roxas' _**POV**:]

I can't believe she'd do that to me. All because she has plans she thinks she can just leave me here alone. I have better things to be doing too. But she gets an early flight home all because she has some wedding to go to with Cloud. I guess he's picking her up and they're leaving first thing. And now without Cloud; and Axel having work I have no one to pick me up from the airport. Jess should give Axel the day off, but of course she won't.

Thanks a ton, Aerith.

I glanced around the expensive hotel room. There weren't any sessions this afternoon and so I was left to sit. Aerith said she was going to enjoy the last day and go to the beach. I wasn't really in the mood.

I looked back at the nightstand, staring at my cell phone. I had an idea.

_To: Naminé_

_From: Roxas_

'_hey. how're you?'_

I couldn't just ask first, I had to be nice. Besides, I was wondering.

_To: Roxas_

_From: Naminé_

'_uh, good I guess. whats up?'_

I must have surprised her. I wonder what she's doing on a Friday night such as this one. I bet Kairi drug her out of the apartment to do something pointless. But that's just a guess.

_To: Naminé_

_From: Roxas_

'_just sitting here bored. who knew someone could not enjoy a week here. weathers great.'_

Was it because you missed her? '_Stop thinking like that, Roxas._' I looked down to see she replied already.

'_I love the Islands. go surf, it should be bright out. or something.'_

I guess she knew there was a time difference. It was still afternoon here. But then again, I think she mentioned growing up here. Yea, that was it. She lived here most of her life.

'_i rather not…oh quick question?'_

I was so smooth.

'_yes, roxas?'_

'_could you pick me up at the airport on saturday (tomorrow)? aerith has a separate flight and i have no other options. i didn't want to bother you.'_

'_is that why you texted me? :/'_

Was she mad at me? I sure do hope not. That would not end well for me.

'_no. I missed you.' _It wasn't a complete lie.

'_sure you did.. but yea, whatever. i have nothing else to do tomorrow. time?'_

She got over that quickly. But maybe she was just trying not to show her anger. So she could surprise me tomorrow with an angry mood and beat me or something. That'd suck.

[_Naminé's _**POV**:]

Well that was quite the reason to text me. He just needed a ride. But I suppose it was still nice hearing from him. And it kept me occupied and away from the leaches inside. I looked towards the door and then back to my phone. Maybe I could, quite literally, chill out here for a while till Kairi was ready to go home.

Then Roxas continued to text me. After setting up a meeting time, we just kept talking about random things. I filled him in on befriending Axel and he told me about his sessions and week in the sun.

Yea, I guess I did like talking to him.

_**Saturday **_**(October 23****rd****)**

I think Kairi got over her idea of getting me to flirt with people once I told her about texting Roxas for an hour last night. Maybe I was right with my theories. And I suppose it kept her occupied in the best friend department. She has hence decided that she was going to busy herself with Halloween preparations this weekend when I pick up Roxas and hang out at his place. That was her idea, not mine. She apparently needs the apartment to herself all day.

"Shouldn't you be going?" I glanced at the clock realizing she was right before grabbing my keys and heading to the elevator. Since my car was back on the Islands (ironic, eh?), I was borrowing one of Kairi's. She had two so I used the white one that was the least conspicuous. It was useful at times, though still not used that much. But I'm sure Roxas would be glad she had them and I had access to the keys.

I made my way to the underground parking garage and to her cars before getting in and making myself comfortable. I had decided to wear a long beige-gray hoodie, which fit my curves so I didn't look like a blob, and black leggings underneath and my hair in a loose ponytail. On my feet were red converse, high tops of course. I was definitely ready to go.

It took long enough, but I eventually made it to the airport with time to get a smoothie. I hadn't realized that I skipped lunch, so this would have to do. Roxas told me to wait in one of the restaurants where I would be easily seen through the glass so I wouldn't have to go through the process of trying to go anywhere else. Stupid security.

I found myself staring off at a magazine rack when a familiar beige messenger bag was set in front of me on the table.

"Hey." I looked up into Roxas' light blue eyes, not realizing I had missed them.

"Hey!" I said, standing up to give him a hug. His arms wrapped around me and held me there for maybe a little longer than necessary, but soon released me. "How was the trip?" I asked, sitting back down. He mirrored me in the seat opposite, keeping his luggage close by our feet.

"Pretty good. Learned some boring things, talked to people, went outside a little. And even though I wanted to get out of the city, I'm glad to be back." There was something in his voice that made me know he really wanted to go home, not back here, back to his hometown.

"Yea, I know you missed me." I played it off like a joke.

"Well of course. I could barely live without seeing your unfortunate mug every day of my life."

"Hey!" I laughed, playfully hitting him from across the tiny round table. He laughed too before letting out an obnoxiously loud yawn. "Tired, huh?" He nodded sleepily.

"Jet lag." He stated, getting up.

"Something like that." I highly doubted that, but could tell he was half joking. He was just tired. "I can carry something." I watched as he swung his bag over his shoulder and grabbed his rolling luggage before walking away.

"I'm fine. Let's just go." He looked back to smile once more.

"Okay. And is it okay if I hang out for a while? Kairi's busy with something and won't let me come home for a while."

"Okay with me." He nodded, almost to the doors by now.

We navigated to the car and loaded his stuff in before making the slow way out of here and to his apartment building. I noticed not too long after we were fastened in that he was fast asleep. He has his head leaning on the headrest, facing me with one hand on his lap and the other on the hand rest, close to mine. I decided now was the best time to keep both hands on the wheel so he wouldn't cause an accident. I just listened to his soft breathing and kept my eyes on the road.

**~*~**

[_Roxas' _**POV**:]

It had been a couple of hours since Naminé picked me up at the airport. I had spent that time sleeping on the couch. She just sat on the other end watching television, not realizing, or ignoring, my feet on her lap. It was comfortable so I didn't move. But now I was awake and so I decided I was hungry.

"You okay with pizza rolls?" I asked from the kitchen. Today was a lazy day and I didn't want to go out.

"Fine with me." She responded.

"Just get them out of the oven." I said before putting them in and running over to the bathroom. "I'm going to take a shower."

"Oh, fine then." She jokingly complained. At least I think it was jokingly. I just got in the shower and hurried up, still hungry of course.

When I got out, dried, and changed into sweats and a t-shirt, I saw her sitting on the couch with a plate of pizza rolls. It smelled good.

I walked over, grabbing my own, and took a seat next to her. I noticed she even got me a can of pop. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." She smiled before continuing to sip on her own drink.

We just sat in a comfortable silence and watched television. I could get used to this relaxed atmosphere with her. I mean, if I had to, it wouldn't be bad.

I took my time eating, stealing sideways glances at her. She may not think much of it, but she looked perfect today. I mean, she always did, but this casual thing going on was good. She was cute. Yea, I admit it, she was fairly attractive.

And so the day went on with us just sitting and chatting or watching something. We even played Wii a little bit. But eventually my blonde companion had to go, taking that feeling of warmth with her.

I went up to bed and glanced at my phone. It was almost Halloween. And since I doubted Ven would steal my candy, for once in a long time I was kind of excited. If that meant I was spending it with Naminé. As just a couple of good friends of course, since I wouldn't say something as cheesy as that in any other situation.

Anyways, my week was uneventful. At least that's what I'm going to tell myself for future reference since it was mostly all about one event involving Naminé.

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, Wii, Converse, Abercrombie & Fitch, or any other copyrighted thing I happened to use, but failed to mention.

* * *

Sorry this chapter was late! My co-author didn't get a chance to properly edit till later on, so the update had to be delayed. But aren't you all happy she was able to edit it? Because it's amazing now! **GoldenSnitch07** and her awesome dust will never disappoint. And so make it even better, this chapter is kind of long and has some subtle fluff. I also used the same line in the beginning of Naminé's part and the end of Roxas' to show they do indeed think alike. I thought it was a cute little touch. At least a good way to wrap things up. And this chapter was just me thinking 'man, I really skip around alot with this story' and wanting to give some substance to the rather mundane events of Naminé's life. Not to worry, next chapter should be a little more entertaining. Somewhat. Hopefully. And I had started writing it and I went to open it and I can't find it anywhere! I hope it's not deleted because I liked what I had. So now I'll have to re-write that entire beginning (that I can't even remember how I started it).. But it should be on schedule for next Wednesday's update unless more complications arise.... I think that's all I need to say since this chapter was pretty straight forward. They so like each other it's kind of hard to keep them from professing their undying love and making out.. or something like that. But since I have more plot to go, you will all have to wait. But at least I have fluff here and there, right? I hope you liked this chapter!

This chapter's shout-out goes to **Redeeming Endeavor** because you're review was so sweet and full of compliments. I couldn't help but smile... So to all you crazy (awesome) readers, go ahead and drop a review and maybe you will be teh next person to be shouted out to! :)

* * *

_Please review. No flames please :)_


	16. October 31st

_B a r e l y _**Legal**

It was times like these that really made me think back on years past. Today is Halloween and ever since Kairi and I moved here, we've been attending crazy parties. Of course I have been forced to attend all of them, but we've gone nonetheless. And each year it was at a beach house out of the city where we could all be crazy and feel like rowdy teenagers again. It reminded of me when we were back in high school on the Islands and I'd sneak out with my sister to go to whatever football player's house that was hosting a party. I was a lot crazier back then. Then college straightened me out. And now Roxas is getting me back to my old self, though I almost hate admitting it.

Anyways, I am currently in my bathroom trying to put on the costume Kairi chose for me this year. She told me she liked acting "completely different" than what she usually is, "like I get to be a total skank and not be harassed." She laughed while sayings these things. Oh, Kairi, you are so silly. I was thankful these parties were out of town and with a bunch of people Kairi was friends with and friends of those friends, so that it wouldn't be leaked into the papers. Being a Sanada had its price. Last year I was Alice and she was the Queen of Hearts and her picture ended up front page of the entertainment section. At least she wasn't a global phenomenon; she was just popular rich girl.

"And don't drink the green punch. Whatever they tell you, it's not kiwi flavored." Kairi was filling me in on where it was we were going, where everything would be, who to talk to, who not to talk to, and how to act. I tried to hear her muffled voice through the door, but I was dead concentrated on how strange this year's costumes were.

It seemed as if she wanted me to be as uncomfortable as possible. The short skirt from last year apparently wasn't enough. This year I was given what appeared to be a cowgirl look. I had on a pink plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled up and the lower half tied in the middle to expose my stomach. Once again I was reminded how skinny I looked, and not the healthy skinny like Kairi, but the sickly skinny that was me. But that was my opinion; I guess people are hardest on themselves. My eyes traveled down the mirror to be met with rinse jean short shorts, very short mind you, and a brown belt around my waist. My gaze continued down to see the brown cowgirl boots on my feet, both showing off a very elaborate paisley pattern. I was probably right to assume the beaten leather was very expensive. All together it wasn't much, but surprisingly looked pretty good for being completely inappropriate.

"Is this on right?" I asked, exiting my bathroom.

"You look hot! Roxas will love it." She teased going over to my bed. I doubted she would ever get the idea of us being together out of her mind. I just ignored it.

"Thanks. You look better."

She blushed. "Aww, thanks, Nam!" She laughed, giving me an obnoxious hug before placing the brown cowgirl hat she had on my head. I just laughed, examining myself in my full length mirror. I averted my eyes from my reflection to hers. She wore a very similar costume, the difference mainly being colors. Her shirt was the same as mine except with a blue plaid design. It was rare that she would wear blue and I would wear pink, but I guess she thought it was a good opportunity to lend me her favorite color. Her shorts were actually the same in my eyes, but maybe they were some different color that I didn't notice. And lastly, she had her own hat, belt, and boots in a creamy white color. It looked pretty good.

"I was actually going to curl our hair, but I figured it'd probably get messed up by the hats, so I guess leaving it straight will do." She went on about possible additions to the costumes as we walked over to her room for her to get her phone before heading downstairs. I had my phone and keys in my pocket since it would be best to travel light. I decided earlier a jacket wasn't necessary, and so I was all ready to go. "Sora will be here soon. Let's go down to meet him." Kairi motioned to the door. Sora had volunteered to drive the two of us to the party, which I had no problem with.

We eventually made it to the street and we immediately saw Sora's shiny blue car sitting out front. Kairi slid into the front, pecking Sora on the lips, and I got into the back. I took note that Sora was also clad in a costume. I assumed this was all Kairi's doing since he too was in an equestrian-themed outfit. From where I could see he was wearing worn blue jeans and an orange plaid shirt (now I get it – orange and blue are complimentary colors) with the sleeves rolled up. There was a brown cowboy hat and boots on the seat next to me. I suppose he is going to change shoes once we get there…

I wonder if Roxas will be there. But I think after what Kairi said, he will be. My guess is that he'll be with his other friends. Maybe Axel will be there too.

**~*~**

I watched as the hustle and bustle of the city slowly faded into small houses of the suburbs and into the open space of the beach that lined the interstate. We took the same route as we did on my birthday but with some new turns and roads, finally made it to the giant beach house which was our destination. The amber lights shining through the windows stood out in the dark, and I could just barely make out the multi-story structure by the moonlight. I could see people dancing inside and hear the loud, pounding music. There were random groups of people lying outside either enjoying the night in silence or drinking and laughing with friends. It seemed to be a calm atmosphere.

I followed Kairi and Sora, trying to cover myself as much as possible due to the stares I could feel boring into my back, as we walked up the lawn and to the house. The porch was strewn with empty cups and beer bottles. This so called calm-atmosphere was turning into a raging beast. But I just took it in and continued walking into the house.

My eyes were immediately met with many people dancing or just talking with alcohol in hand in every space available. Everyone was in costume, which made me even more uneasy. There was orange and black crate paper, lights, and miscellaneous decorations strung on the wooden beams above and on the walls. My eyes were drawn up the loft and then back down to this level and out the glass doors leading to a huge deck. This place was huge. And everything seemed to be top-notch. It had a huge floor-to-ceiling brick fire place and suede furniture. I do hope those don't get too beat up for the sake of the owners.

I was so caught up basking in the house's glory that I failed to realize Kairi and Sora were no longer beside me. I looked around, hoping to see a familiar face, but to no avail. I was worried some drunk would attack me or worse, so I decided to wonder around the dancing bunch in search of my redheaded friend.

It seemed hours, though it was probably just minutes, till I came across a kitchen. I was once again distracted by the stainless steel appliances and open floor plan. It was just so amazing. The kitchen was open to the living area and looked like there was a pantry towards the back.

And just like everywhere else, this room was filled with people; this crowd being the ones trying to calm down though, which I took as a good thing. I casually leaned against the counter silently observing my surroundings.

[_Roxas' _**POV**:]

This place was crazy. There were so many people stumbling around with alcohol in hand or flailing wildly on the dance floor. I used to like crazy parties like this, but not really anymore. But I had to think like Kairi: it was Halloween, a time to not be yourself. But was that really a good thing?

"I'm gonna go get a drink, okay, man?" I almost had to shout into Axel's ear. We were above on the loft playing pool. He just nodded and I walked away.

I could see down to the sea of people below me. I thought I caught a glimpse of Sora, but I'm not positive on that. I continued my trek down the stairs and towards the kitchen. There were a few people in there talking to each other or getting drinks.

My gaze traced the wooden cabinets and granite counter top in search of a drink. Soon my eyes met with the fridge and I went over and opened it to be stocked with more beer and other types of alcohol. I wasn't in the mood for that. Instead I grabbed a nearby plastic cup and filled it with tap water. That'd have to do.

"Roxas?" I heard a soft voice say from somewhere to my left.

I turned around to see a very pretty blonde leaning against the counter. Her milky skin exposed and her bright blue eyes shining. Wait a second—

"Naminé?" I asked, coming closer to her and stood in front of her, one hand in my pocket, the other firmly gripping the cup. This was definitely not the Naminé I remembered wearing sweats and a hoodie just the other day. This girl was wearing some kind of cowboy costume and a sultry smile. Or was that just my mind playing tricks on me? I couldn't possibly think that way about Naminé. She was too good to be ogled at like this.

I looked back up to her face to see a light pink color splashed across her cheeks. I must have embarrassed her.

"What're you doing here? Don't answer that. Kairi's idea." I answered my own questions.

"Yes. You here with Axel?" She asked.

"Yea, that and Kairi said I should come. Sora confirmed. I was actually heading back upstairs, want to come?" I asked. It was kind of awkward down here.

"Sure." I held out my hand that was previously in my pocket and she took it. It was so small. But for some reason I didn't really mind her squeeze my hand tighter as we weaved through the crowd to the stairs. I felt kind of good to be able to be in this protective position. It reminded me of that night back in August when Seifer was after her. It seems like years ago looking back.

"So what're you supposed to be?" I heard her ask from behind me as we walked.

"A prince I think. It was Aerith's idea." She thought you'd be a princess. I was actually glad she wasn't or else that'd be a little embarrassing. I don't think I like her like that. I shouldn't, anyway.

"It's cute." She giggled. I was wearing a white blazer type thing with various tassels and badges, dark blue slacks, shiny black shoes, and white gloves. I felt very strange in it all, but Aerith said it looked good. She insisted on a crown but I had to refuse that. Thank goodness she let my hair be crazy and do its own thing. "Shame I wasn't a princess. We could've matched." She laughed after that, making it obvious she was kidding.

I started to laugh too and I looked off to the side. There, sitting on a couch drinking up a storm with some girl, was the man I was thinking of mere moments ago.

My laugh immediately cut off, earning myself a confused look from Naminé. But I kept her positioned on my other side, trying to make her invisible behind my frame, and subconsciously moved my hand from hers to around her waist. It really did feel like that night. I kept on walking towards the next room where the pool table was. Everything up here was open except this room had a dividing wall keeping it separate, but was along the banister so you could still see down below.

I was thankful she didn't comment on my arm. "Hey, Naminé." I didn't realize I was staring at her till I heard Axel's voice.

"Hi, Axel." She smiled cheerily. I'm sure she was happy to have found people to talk to instead of sitting alone.

"Ya look pretty cute tonight." He winked. That jerk.

"Well thank you, you look pretty good yourself." She flipped her hair.

"What're you doing walking around with a crazy kid like this?" He gestured to me.

"Cool down, Aku." I unwrapped my arm from her waist and walked over to the pool table, busying myself with setting up the balls in the rack. What was I bothered about? Oh yea, Seifer was just in the other room. I couldn't be distracted by Axel's comments. "Wanna play?" I looked back up and locked my eyes with hers.

My gaze didn't leave her the rest of the night. We just carried on playing and talking. I got to introduce Naminé to my other friends; Larxene, Luxord, and Demyx. They seemed to get along fine. I wonder if she would get along with… No, I can't think about that.

As I was saying, we had some fun dancing and drinking. I had my water and Naminé stole it after a while of singing along to the songs. We ended up going downstairs and out on the deck. Seifer was nowhere to be seen and I was thankful.

I soon found myself leaning on the banister, looking out at the ocean with Naminé at my side. Things quieted down out here save for the few crazy souls braving the water just for a laugh from their girls. Naminé placed her hand next to mine, our skin just touching, and followed my gaze to the moon. I glanced over at her. The moonlight shined off her light hair and pale skin and danced in her blue eyes. I couldn't help but smile. It seemed as if this one night was completely morphing our casual friendship into something I couldn't quite decipher.

Suddenly I felt something warm wrap around my arm and lean on my shoulder. Her hair tickled my neck as I turned to see she had made herself comfortable at my side. Her eyes were closed though.

"Tired?"

"Mmhmm." She murmured in her sleepy state. Part of me wished she did that because she wanted to, not because she was tired and was about to collapse. Wait, no, why am I thinking that?

"I can take you home." I whispered in her hair.

"Thanks." I slowly stood up straight and wrapped my arms around her to keep her straight. Her arms folded in front of her and her face rested on my chest, I took note her eyes remained closed. She looked so calm.

I began walking around the deck that wrapped around and joined with the front porch. Just as we were in amongst all the cars I heard a shout from behind. The familiar voice caused me to clench my teeth. Please, go away.

"Hey, chickenwuss!" Naminé dreamily opened her eyes and I snapped around to stare at the source of my worries all evening. If it was possible, I drew her closer to my chest, making sure there was no way he could bother her any more. This guy just needed to stop coming into my life.

"What do you want, Seifer?" I glared back at him.

"Looks like you're still dating that lamer, eh, sweet cheeks?" He said, staring at Naminé. At first I was confused then remembered what I said last time. I hope Naminé just goes along with it again. I noticed his eyes go down and pretty much undress her. That disgusting piece of—

"Please go away." Naminé's quiet voice interrupted my thoughts.

"Fat chance." He walked closer to us till he was a mere two feet away. "Not till you decide to make up for last time. I thought you were a sweet little girl and now look at you. You're some tramp glued to _his_ side."

"Shut up, Seifer." I chose to not put in some extra adjectives in there for Naminé's sake. She probably already thought I was a jerk from way back. I didn't want those feelings resurfacing after all we've been through.

"Make me." It didn't even register that he grabbed Naminé's arm and yanked her from my grasp. She grunted in pain and I knew I couldn't do anything about it. She didn't need to be hurt anymore. This night was turning into a nightmare.

"Just let her go and you can go have fun all you want back at the house." I pointed behind him.

"Right. I'll do that." He said in an obnoxiously sarcastic tone.

"It ain't nice to steal someone else's girl, got it memorized?" A voice said from behind me. I looked to my sides to see Axel standing to my right with Luxord and Larxene and Demyx on my left. I knew it was smart to befriend the people from the gym.

The atmosphere lightened a little. Seifer's eyes took in the muscular gang behind me before he shoved Naminé back into my arms. "Here's the trash. You sure are lucky I don't have _my_ back-up here, chickenwuss." Axel put his hand on my back to keep me from following that…jerk. I was angry, but more than that, I was sad. I thought I left all this drama in high school. But I guess not. Why can't I just go back to eating pizza rolls with Naminé? Back when things were simple?

But what kept me grounded was how calm Naminé was. She just acted like it never happened and I respect her for that.

"Thanks guys." I finished saying my goodbyes. I didn't even notice us all talking afterwards. We were all just making fun of how immature Seifer really was.

"See ya, Roku."

I slung my arm around Naminé's shoulders as we walked back to my car. She slid into the passenger seat and I got into the driver's seat and I fired it up in silence.

"That was some crazy night, huh?" Naminé broke the silence just as we were getting on the interstate.

"It was. Glad I was able to find you though."

"Me too. I had fun up until Seifer started bothering us. But I guess I have to be mature about it. Though I am a little upset that he broke my sleepy state." I heard her pull out her phone and text Kairi. "There, now Kairi knows that I'm safely on my way home. She doesn't need to know about Seifer."

"Good call." Hopefully that would be our last meeting with him.

**~*~**

[_Naminé's _**POV**:]

Tonight was one of the craziest nights I have had since high school. Back then it was football players fighting each other to prove who the best was in order to get my attention. I guess my popularity hasn't worn off. I was really hoping it would though. It seemed I have already caught Roxas' attention. Wait, I didn't mean it like that. I meant he was a good friend that's willing to protect me, a best friend.

Anyways, I'll just sleep all that drama off and we can go back to boring. It's weird that now after I wish for drama and I get it, I just want to go back to casual afternoons eating pizza rolls with Roxas and having movie nights with him, Kairi, and Sora.

Speaking of Kairi, I don't think I'll tell her about it. I'll just say I ran into Roxas and talked to him and his friends and he drove me home. That's the truth, anyways. And I don't have to mention my clinginess either. That was an embarrassment that could've been avoided. Darn him and his warmth and unique smell.

Things will be back to normal. I have nothing to worry about. No feelings, no nothing… Not that there are any _feelings _anyway.

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Alice in Wonderland or any other copyrighted thing mentioned.

* * *

So this chapter was crazy. I had a lot of trouble with it acutally since I didn't want it to be too crazy, but thankfully I had **GoldenSnitch07** (the best co-author ever) to help me and make it all better. So I threw Seifer back in there. And now it's set up for another jump in time... Maybe. So I bet you're all wondering what's going to happen next. It's gonna to be friggin' epic. I have no other things to say about it since it's all pretty straight forward, so if you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask.

This chapter's shout-out goes to **WRiTEMEMYLiES** because you left short and simple reviews that still got your opinion across. And you left lots of them, which I didn't mind at all... So to all other readers out there, go ahead and drop a review and maybe you will be the next person to be shouted out to! :)

* * *

_Please review. No flames please :)_


	17. November

_Barely _**Legal**

Bzzzzzzz. Bzzzzzzz. Bzzzzzzz. Bzzzzzzz.

Uh…what the…? Eyes still closed, I reached out smacking the top of the night stand searching for that blasted alarm clock, finding relief with the button. I suddenly regretted changing my alarm to buzzing as opposed to my usual music. I hadn't stood up yet and already my head was throbbing. Awesome. I remained in bed for awhile longer though, unsure whether it was due to my head or just pure laziness that I was unable to move. Since this was bound to be a perfect day I figured I might as well get started sooner rather than later, and finally stumbled down stairs.

I pulled open the fridge door. Cream cheese, grapes, milk, butter, sports drinks, soda, leftover Chinese. Yeah, that's not happening, so I moved on to the freezer which housed sea salt ice cream, ice trays, TV dinners, and what may or may not have once been bacon. Am I not supposed to have breakfast or what? Geez. Leaning against the door, I pondered over not consuming any morning nutrition but just as I pushed myself away from the fridge, my midsection released an unearthly howl. Once more I opened the door and emerged with a handful of grapes. That would have to do.

I wonder where Kairi was. She wasn't in her room when I checked and she doesn't seem to be anywhere else. Then again, she was probably just at Sora's or stayed over at one of her other friends' house. I just hoped she was okay. She tended to be a little forgetful, to say the least.

**~*~**

[_Roxas' _**POV**:]

"Roxas, you're late." I walked into the studio building and was immediately greeted by the always charming Jessica.

"Yeah, I'm sorry Jess. Traffic was crazy today." I made up an excuse, when in truth I merely overslept.

"Hmm…Don't let it happen again." I watched as she walked off, her stilettos making loud clacking noises as she went. I tried as hard as I could to rub the sleep out of my eyes. Someone tapped me on the shoulder just then.

"You look tired. I thought you might need it." I turned to see Naminé's smiling, but tired face. She held my usual latte in one hand with hers in the other. I just smiled.

"Thanks. That's ni- I'll need it." Why did I say that? I thought I was over being mean to her? Well maybe it's just because I'm tired.

"Yeah, you will," she said. Crap, she looked pitiful. What was I in for now? Apparently she wasn't willing to explain because she motioned for me to follow her and walked toward the part of the studio where my desk was; my desk that I never actually used that much since she joined the staff. I guess she brought me out of my little cave in the back since it seemed all I did was talk to her between camera flashes.

"Roxas," she said motioning to a chair beside my desk reserved for collaborations with Jess, "This is Zexion. He's here to follow you about today. He aspires to become a photographer as well." I could tell Naminé just wanted to go home instead of doing every little thing Jess was too lazy to do herself.

He had to be around 17, I'd say. Silver, yes silver, hair poked out from under a soft navy hood at odd angles. Being the gentleman I am, despite being just slightly freaked out, I gave a nod of the head to acknowledge him. I have to admit, I've never had an 'apprentice' before. This was going to be an interesting day.

Naminé sensed the awkwardness and thankfully tried to fill the gap. "He has to do a report on the career he wants and has to do some job shadowing. He'll be with us until lunch. Well, anyway, I better get to work myself. You boys have fun." I caught her annoyed tone when she mentioned 'work', but decided to ignore it.

I looked at her pleadingly as she began backing up. She gave an understanding look but shrugged and walked away. Why me?

"Well, let's see what's planned today." I shuffled some papers around my desk. It was really unorganized in here due to my lack of actually using my desk. There were lots of papers thrown on it and my once clean office was a mess. "I have a photo shoot in about 15 minutes with a local department store. We'll get up there early to see what you know then we can both take some shots. That sound good?"

He nodded. A real talker I see. For the first time I noticed a camera dangling around his neck. At least he brought one. Anyway, let's get to work. With that I took a final sip at my coffee, I started for the elevator all the while trying to create a mental file of things to talk to a teenage boy about.

Once upstairs I began to fiddle with some stuff on set. There was a white fence in front of a tree. The backdrop was a giant green screen of course since we'd retouch it digitally afterward.

"So what's your name again?" I asked as we both adjusted lenses on our cameras.

"Zexion. I go to Twilight Town High School. Junior."

"Nice. That's my old alma mater. Mr. Nomura still teach math?"

"Ha, you kidding? He'll be there forever." I laughed at his response. He was probably right.

Hmm, maybe this won't be such a bad day after all. Some people were gathering around the set now ushering in a variety of people; two men, two women, a teenage girl, a teenage boy, and a toddler. They were all wearing the latest fashions for the winter season, similar but different.

I put them in place with some simple hand motions, and then I got to work. In the midst of my rapid photo snapping I took just long enough to turn and nod my head at Zexion. He got up hurriedly, camera swinging about his neck. We captured some photos together, but I slipped to the background unnoticed to observe when he wasn't looking. He moved around, took pictures from different angles, even gave directions to the models. This kid was good. I could see him going professional, honestly.

"So…how do you think I did?" We were in the elevator, heading back from the upper levels of Radiant Studios where the shoot took place.

"I think you have a lot of potential. If you stick with it, develop your skills, find your style, you'll excel."

"Really? Thanks a lot, uh, Roxas. I'm really glad you gave me a shot."

"Anytime. Drop me an email if you ever have any questions. Okay? I'll see you later."

I ushered the lad out the door then meandered back through to my desk. I gathered up my stuff; not much, a messenger bag and my cell phone, and got ready to leave. That was the only shoot for the day after all so I figured I'd get some stuff done around the apartment.

Right before I was about to leave, Naminé appeared at my side.

"So guess what?" She asked, a big smile plastered to her face. Either she had too much coffee or she finally lost it.

"What, coffee girl?"

She didn't even yell at me for that and continued talking. "Jess told me she had some kind of appointment and told me I could go home for the day."

"That's good. I was just going home too."

"And you weren't even going to come talk to me first? Well, then, Roxas, I see how you are. First you don't even bother me when I came in and now you just leave. Whatever." She really was hyper. I know we joked around a lot, but she was never this... immature.

"Oh come on, you know I love you!" I swung am arm around her shoulder as we walked and gave her a light squeeze.

"Oh shut up." I noticed she had the faintest pink color splashed on her cheeks. Maybe I shouldn't have said that. It was kind of awkward. "So… you want to grab a bite to eat?" She suggested, turning her gaze to straight ahead.

I removed my arm and we were on our way to my favorite café a few blocks away.

~*~

I was watching some random movie on TV. It was about 4:00 in the afternoon. My ringtone began singing from the coffee table and I scooped it up.

_To: Roxas_

_From: Naminé_

_Hey Roxy :) didn't know u were a teen mentor. _

I smiled at Naminé's message. Wait, why would I do that? I know I just talked to her a few hours ago, but I still liked hearing from her. It was nice.

_To: Naminé_

_From: Roxas_

_Yeah, guess I'm just cool like that. Kids wanna be like me ;P_

I waited a few moments before I looked down to see she had replied already.

_So…u goin out with Kai and Sora this weekend?_

_Idk, u?_ Kairi tried to drag everyone out every weekend she could manage. But we did just have that crazy weekend on Halloween and I didn't want to risk another scene.

_Maybe. I've been so busy this month with Jess overloading me. I need a break. _

_We all need a break from her. haha. She's a crazy person._

_yea... she flips at every little thing. And you've been stealing all of her prize photographer's attention_

_you have such a huge ego._

I was thankful she didn't catch the innuendo I had in that sentence. I didn't mean it and didn't even notice it till re-reading it in my sent folder.

_Ha, jerk. :P_

_Ugh, I got her laundry for her every day for the past 2 months. I wish she wasn't so lazy._

_City life. What can u do?_

_Good thing u and I are country kids :) _

_I don't think the islands counts as country, namine… anyway, I gtg. I'll see you at work tomorrow. _

_Byes. _

Yea, I guess I did like talking to Naminé. Suddenly old memories resurfaced that hadn't in a while and I flashbacked to five years ago. Football season had just ended and I was relaxing at home… No, I have to hold it in till I have the courage to go back home. Man, what is wrong with me? And so with my hands behind my head, I dozed off for a nap.

**~*~**

**Two and a Half Weeks Later**

November is just disappearing before my eyes. I wonder if it went by this fast for Naminé too. It's just that things are so quiet the days seem to be flying past us.

I would like to say that we had two successful photo shoots for Kairi thus far and I was able to get along with work quite fine. Naminé actually came over last weekend, shortly followed by Kairi and Sora, and we had a game night. That was pretty fun. Except the time that Kairi won because she rubbed it in my face; all because I had been the one winning previous to her victory. But whatever.

Naminé and I have become even closer friends after the Seifer incident. I was actually starting to worry about my feelings. It was so confusing with her sometimes I didn't know what to think. I thought we were just friends. I don't even know what it is I'm feeling so I shouldn't even try thinking back on it.

Suddenly my cell phone began ringing. I immediately picked it up after looking to see it was Axel calling.

"Hey, man." I answered in a calm tone.

"So you still coming over tomorrow? Larxene needs to know for some cooking related reason." I could hear her scolding him in the background. Did I mention he was dating Larxene? Well, I guess it started that night at the Halloween party. I was happy for them. I'm sure he was the only one that could deal with her behavior and vice versa.

"I think so. What time did you want me to come?" Tomorrow was Thanksgiving which meant the fifth year of our tradition. I think it was the fifth, at least. Ever since I first moved to the city I had Thanksgiving dinner with this crew. I didn't have time with my job to go back home. And I never really wanted to go back after that. But now I do feel homesick about it, but I can't just leave my friends. I still do feel bad though since even Naminé went back home for the holiday. But maybe I can hold out a little longer. I don't think I'm ready.

"How does eleven sound? Then we can hang out all day and watch the game like usual."

"Sounds good. See you tomorrow, Aku." That was a nickname I haven't used in a while.

"See ya!"

**~*~**

I scuffed my brown shoes on the floor as I waited for someone to answer the door at Axel's apartment the following morning. I held a tray of deviled eggs (one of the few things I could make) and kept myself busy by staring at each and every one of them.

"Oh, hey, Roku. I didn't hear you at the door." Larxene greeted.

"It's fine. Where do you want these?" I gestured to my tray.

"In the kitchen will be fine. Aku's in the living room." I followed her instructions before finding Axel lying on the couch watching the parade. Demyx was also there.

"Where's Luxord?" I asked when I saw he was nowhere to be found.

"He said he couldn't make it. He's going to his fiancée's place I guess." I didn't even know he had a girlfriend let alone was engaged. Axel sat up to allow me space on the couch. "Well don't you look spiffy." I looked down to remember what I was wearing. A brown sweater and dark jeans.

"Not really. But thanks." I guess his choice of a t-shirt and basketball shorts caused his comment. I bet Larxene gave him an earful about it before I arrived.

"So, see any good floats?" I broke the awkward silence and Axel just gave me a look that read 'seriously, man?'

"Food's ready!" Larxene's shrill scream filled the room. And so the three of us guys immediately got up and went to the kitchen to fill our plates with turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and various other appropriate garnishes before going to sit at the table.

We all chatted animatedly as we ate. It was good to sit down and be able to catch up with my friends. Of course they all asked about Naminé and if they would be able to get to see her again. I'm not sure if she'd want to, but I'd like her to. It might be fun. She seemed to get along with them before so I see no problem with it.

I also learned that Demyx got a promotion, Larxene has decided to further her education in a culinary school, and Axel is just happy with life the way it is. It's crazy to see the obnoxious bunch I met in college simmer down. It makes me think that I should really make sure I was where I wanted to be in this part of my life. I know I'm young and all but I should really make sure before I spend my entire life doing something I hate. I told Naminé before I was thinking about starting my own company, but was I really serious about that? I didn't know if I could make it here in the city. I might have to move, which means leaving these guys and Naminé and Aerith (Where was she anyways? Probably with Cloud…) and everyone. Could I really do it?

"Roxas? Roxas?"

"Huh?" My head snapped up and locked with Axel's bright green eyes.

"You were a little spaced out there. You okay?" I didn't even realize I had quieted down.

"Yea, I'm fine. Sorry about that." I looked back down and got a forkful of turkey and shoved it in my mouth before I caused any more trouble. "This is great, Larx." I smiled, hoping this expression would affect my feelings. Why was I being like this?

**~*~**

"See ya, guys." I said as I got up from the couch. I had just spent the whole day at Axel's apartment. The last game just ended and I was extremely tired. Darn tryptophan.

"Bye, Roxas." Larxene and Axel chorused from their snuggled-up position on the couch. Demyx just waved.

I slid my shoes back on and headed out.

I was just planning on going straight to bed once I got home. But was that what I did? Not quite.

When I arrived at my place I went straight upstairs and changed into navy pajama pants and a white t-shirt. I was suddenly not tired and decided to spend a little time out on my miniature balcony.

I walked out on the small terrace and looked down at the busy street below. Even on Thanksgiving it was crazy out here. I guess even the city didn't take a break. I found myself staring out at nothing and enjoying the crisp, almost cold, air. I wrapped my arms around myself and looked up at the stars…

Suddenly I felt my cell phone vibrating from its safe place in my pocket. I pulled it out and looked at the sender before opening it up.

_To: Roxas_

_From: Naminé_

_hey, Roxas. how was your thanksgiving?_

I was a little surprised from the message. I thought she'd be busy with her family. But maybe she was feeling a little odd today as well. I still couldn't put my finger on why though.

_To: Naminé_

_From: Roxas_

_pretty good. it was nice to hang out with friends I didn't get to that often. you?_

I looked below me to see various people: singles, couples and families bustling around, trying to get home.

_thats good. mine was good too. i really missed my family. and i got to meet my sister's boyfriend. he's nice. i wish i could just stay here a while longer, but i'm coming back this weekend._

It seemed like it was just me that was on the Islands and she was back here. But now it's reversed. But I guess Kairi got picking her up covered since she didn't ask me the entire time we talked that night.

**~*~**

November really did go fast. It was almost over. I wonder what kind of things December will bring. And I hope that doesn't include more pointless mood swings I tend to have or being confused about Naminé and my friendship. Maybe I'll mature a little more. Who knows? It'll be my last chance to redeem myself for this year.

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any other copyrighted thing I used.

* * *

Don't worry, we're not dead! I'm extremely sorry for the late update. We had technical problems and busy weeks so we couldn't update. First, I made my wonderful co-author, **GoldenSnitch07**, write this chapter, which she did amazing at. Then I just edited and added to it and had her edit one last time. I just feel so bad since you waited all this time for just a filler. But I think one more chapter then Christmas in story! So that'll be fun. I really hope you all stick around. And thank you to those that asked me about this story and decided to stay around till now. And thank you for all the reviews! So I'm sorry. But I will be adding a fun little oneshot soon once it gets edited by **startscribbling12**. So be sure to check that out too (once it's added).

Anyways, like I said, this chapter is mainly filler. And It's the entire month of November in one chapter (hence the lack of date in the title). And I believe it's almost all Roxas' PoV which I hope you all like. Oh, and I changed Roxas' friend to Luxord in a previous chapter so that Zexion could be the kid. If you have any questions, let me know in a review.

This shout-out goes to **HeartlessNobodyNamine** because I really loved your review. I'm glad I could help you with liking the pairing. And look, I updated! And I'm not giving up on it, don't worry. And to all you others, be sure to review and let me know what you think. You could get the shout-out next :)

* * *

_Please review. No flames please :)_


	18. December 10th

_B a r e l y _**Legal**

"Morning, Kai." I walked down the stairs and noticed Kairi was sitting at the table, clad in pink and white pajamas.

"Hey, Nam." She turned around and smiled sleepily at me. I wondered what she was doing just sitting around.

As soon as I made it to the kitchen the bathroom door opened and out came Sora in red pajama pants and a white t-shirt. Oh, that explained why.

"Good morning, Nam." Sora smiled brightly at me. I had learned that he was a morning person over the past few months.

I simply waved and retrieved a toaster strudel from the freezer. I was thankful I went on a much needed shopping trip over the weekend. Roxas had tagged along and I had never enjoyed the grocery store so much before. It was a fun time.

I silently ate my warm strudel and went back upstairs to finish getting ready. I looked in my closet to see one of Kairi's pre-planned outfits waiting for me. I have learned to dress myself "properly", but some days I just needed a little help. Since it was December, I have adjusted to snug sweaters and fashion boots.

Today was a white long sleeve shirt and a brown army blazer with dark skinny jeans and sleek brown boots. I quickly threw on the outfit and straightened my hair the best I could before brushing my teeth; followed by putting on my usual heart necklace and make-up. Once I was ready I headed downstairs and grabbed my bag and cell phone on the way out.

I hoped my agenda would include something more exciting than errands for Jess today. Even a boring business meeting would be better than nothing.

"Hey." I looked over to see Roxas had joined me at the snack table.

"Oh, hey, Roxas." I returned my gaze to the pile of papers I had in my hands.

"What's that?"

"Boring things as usual. So can you believe we only have two more photo shoots?" I changed the subject to something we could actually talk about.

"Yea, it's crazy how things went by so fast. It's kind of nice, but what will we do once it's over?" He let out a chuckle.

"I'm sure Kairi will find something." I laughed, but something in my mind went off. What _will_ we do? I feel as if nothing has happened between us since we first started hanging out. I mean, I don't want to date him or anything. I don't like him. He's just attractive and nice and keeps me smiling. Since when has there been more than attractive on that list? Oh no, that can't be good.

No, Namie, calm down. It's true we've gotten closer since Halloween which means I can honestly consider him a best friend. But that's all. Which means Roxas has once again found it hilarious to tease me every once in a while. Oh well, I like his jokes. Sometimes…

"Are you ready for lunch, mademoiselle?" Roxas' voice filled my ears, his warm breath tickling my neck. I smiled.

"Where to today?" I stood up from my seat and fastened my coat tightly around my waist.

"Our favorite warm, little cafe." He put out his arm and I took it as we walked out for our lunch break.

"Sounds good."

As I slurped on my tasty chicken noodle soup, I took a few glances at my blonde companion. It was so cute how he blew on his soup before eating it, and then paused a few moments to savor the taste. It looked like his ears and nose were returning to their normal color follow their exposure to the cold. I hoped mine were too. It was such an unflattering shade for such a fair person like myself.

Roxas was wearing a dark navy button-up dress shirt with the first few buttons undone to expose the crisp white t-shirt he had on underneath. His pants were a khaki shade and he wore brown shoes. His red scarf and black jacket were sitting on the seat next to him. It was odd at work, the way everyone dressed. Some days we were dressed up and others we were wearing jeans and t-shirts. But it wasn't on just Fridays. It was random. But no one said anything about looking professional, it just happened. So really, no one should have the desire to dress up. And yet we did.

"Naminé…" Roxas broke the silence. His voice seemed a bit more quiet than usual. We were just joking and carrying on the entire way here. I wonder what altered his mood.

"Yes, Roxy?" Shut up, Nam. He was being serious and you go on and poke fun at him. Way to go.

"I need to talk to you about something important." He ignored his nickname and kept talking, not looking up from his half-eaten soup. I was suddenly worried. "I need help."

"With what?" I titled my head and let my eyes soften. It was silent before he looked back up at me. His light blue eyes locked with mine and I couldn't move.

"I've really been thinking ever since we started being friends. And we got to know each other really well. And it's great! Don't get me wrong you're amazing and all, but… You've got me thinking." Roxas saying 'thinking' twice in the same breath wasn't usually a good sign. Good thing we weren't together or else I'd think he was breaking up with me the way he was talking. "I think… I think I'm ready. But I really need you right now, okay?" What was he talking about? This was all so sudden I wasn't sure what to think. Really, really sudden…

"I'm listening, Roxas. Just say it." I placed my cold hand on top of his warm one, which was resting on the table. It felt like the appropriate thing to do.

"I'm going to be mature about it and follow what you told me." I could tell what he was saying was rehearsed now. Like he really has been thinking about this for a long time. "Not like you outright said it, but I know you've been thinking it when we talk about our hometowns." Now I get it. "I want to go home." And for once when I looked at Roxas, I didn't see him. I saw a little boy that just really needed to see his mom and breathe in the country air. Did I do this to him? Did I really change the cold, arrogant Roxas into an emotional, caring young man? It may have taken the course of several months, but it really happened. Was I sad or excited about this?

"That's… that's great Roxas." I squeezed his hand before removing it. There was no need to make things even more complicated.

"For the holidays, I think would be the best time. I wouldn't have to wait much longer and I've really been thinking about it. I'm ready. It took me a long time to realize it, but I'm mature enough. I can go." His sad face was replaced by a big smile.

"Well, since you already have it planned, you can fill me in now." And so he told me about when he was going and how long he was staying. He told me about all the things he's missed. But every once in a while his subject would change from helping his mom make cookies and chopping down a tree with his dad to his friends and he'd grow silent. I'd catch him saying something about 'leaving them' and 'disappointing them' under his breath. I wasn't sure if he was referencing to his old friends or his family. Once I heard him say about being 'weak' and I was close to slapping him. I didn't expect him to say that again. "And the best is that it will be a surprise. I'm not going to call ahead."

"That sounds great, Roxas." I stood up and put my coat on, watching Roxas do the same.

Today was more interesting than usual what with Roxas making the decision to return to his home for a little while. And Jess giving me a small bonus because she liked my boots was, of course, a plus. I guess Kairi's splurge on them was worth it. Then again, it's a hollow victory since the boots probably cost more than what Jess gave me. But I digress…

I let my thoughts roam free on all of the day's contents as I searched for something good to watch on the television. I already e-mailed my mother when I first got home. And I already ate so there wasn't anything to do. Kairi got a call from Aqua and they went out so I'm home alone. I really wish I had more friends sometimes. I'm alone in the middle of a big city.

_Ring. Ring. Ring._

My eyes traveled towards the phone and I got up to get it.

"Hello?"

"Hello. Is this Naminé?" A familiar voice answered.

"Yes. Who is this?" But not too familiar.

"Hey, Nam, it's Cloud. I know we've never really talked, but Roxas is kind of useless right now, can you come over?" That was extremely random. I knew he was Aerith's boyfriend and a close friend of Roxas' but I've never really talked to the guy. I had no idea where he lived anyways. "It's for Aerith. We're over at her apartment, you know where that is?" I finally realized the urgency in his voice.

"Uh, yea. Sure, I'll be right over." I wondered what he needed. But if it was for Aerith, I'd be happy to help. We haven't had time to properly chat in a while anyways.

I burst into Aerith's apartment a little disheveled. My hair was falling out of its ponytail and my sweatpants and hoodie (I really need to return that to Roxas…) probably wasn't nice to look at. I tossed my coat on the chair next to the door and looked up to see Cloud and Roxas sitting on the couch. It seemed like days since I've seen Roxas. He was so happy a few hours ago and now he was sitting with his head in his hands. His messy hair showed that he had raked his hands through it a few times. Cloud was sitting next to him staring blankly straight ahead of him. I didn't see Aerith anywhere. And she had a very sleek, contemporary style going on so there wasn't much she could be hiding behind. The only separate rooms were a closet, bedroom, and bathroom down the hall.

I took a step and the boys finally realized I was there. Well, Roxas did. He removed his face from his hands and looked at me for a few seconds before standing and approaching me. He was awfully close. Cloud didn't stir.

Roxas rested his hands on my shoulders and took a deep breath before speaking. "Thanks for coming. It means a lot to Cloud. And to me." I gave him a small hug; it looked like he needed it.

"No problem. Where's Aerith?"

"She's in the bathroom. Cloud and I went out to get some food to bring here for Aerith and when we got in everything was fine." He paused and glanced at Cloud before returning his gaze to me. "She was acting a little strangely and went into the bathroom. She hasn't come out in a few hours and no matter what we say she won't respond. But we can hear her crying. I'm sorry I had to call you, but you're one of Aerith's closest friends, maybe you could do something."

Wow… what could possibly do this to Aerith? Was she sick?

"Thanks for calling me." I placed a hand on his face; the action being automatic. "I'll try." Roxas released his grip on my shoulders and I walked over to the bathroom door down the hall off the kitchen.

"Aerith?" I called softly into the door." I heard muffled sobs. It broke my heart. Aerith didn't deserve whatever was ailing her. I suddenly felt horrible for not talking to her in ages. I had lunch with her a few times in the past month, but that was it. We were both so busy. "Aerith, can I come in?" I placed my hand on the knob, pressing my ear to the door.

In response I heard the sound of the door unlocking. I was surprised she gave in so easily. She wouldn't even let her own boyfriend go in and I got the okay to enter in mere seconds. But I wasn't complaining.

I slowly opened the door and closed it behind me, locking it once more, before I even looked at anything. But when I opened my eyes I was shocked.

There were tissues all over the floor and vanity and there was a Tylenol bottle on its side on the counter and everything seemed chaotic. Then my eyes traveled to a very pale young woman curled in the corner near the bathtub. Her make-up was smeared and her eyes were all puffy. Her dark jeans were unbuttoned in discomfort and her shirt was askew. Not to mention, her hair was in a mess from being tousled. I think this was the first time I've seen it down.

"Aerith… what's wrong?" I knelt down in front of her, moving aside some tissues in the process. She looked up at me with the saddest look I have ever seen.

"Naminé…. I-I can't…" Her voice cracked. She picked up another tissue and dabbed her face. "I can't do it…"

"What happened? What can't you do? Did someone hurt you?" The question was automatic. If _anyone _even _dared_ to hurt Aerith they were as good as dead.

She burst into tears and threw herself into my arms. I was surprised at first, but moved so she could cry into my shoulder. I just rubbed her back, trying to calm her down. This makes me think of all those times mothering Kairi in the past. But it had never been this serious.

"You can trust me, Aerith." I said after several moments of silence. What else could I say to her? She looked up and stared me dead in the eyes. I handed her a clean tissue and she wiped them before speaking. She looked so broken, scared maybe?

"I think… I think I'm pregnant, Naminé." She said this in a rush and I was immediately taken aback. I never thought this could happen. I didn't really think of her and Cloud that way, but I could've sworn she told me she was on the pill. It was kind of surreal…like all I could think of were high school health classes and all those talks. Things didn't always happen the way you planned.

"Are you sure?" Was all I could croak out. A baby was a wonderful thing, but I didn't know if they were ready. Would I be ready if this happened to me? Probably not. Aerith and Cloud are older than me, and really close in their relationship, but they weren't even engaged yet. This could definitely throw in some problems.

She gestured to the pregnancy tests lying in the bathtub. I didn't even realize there were about five in there. I glanced at them before looking closely to the one nearest to me. Positive. Only one of them read negative.

"I don't know what to do. What will Cloud say?" She whispered. The tears stopped flowing and now she looked completely panic stricken.

"Aerith, he loves you. And he will do whatever is best for you… and the baby." I can't believe I said that out loud. It made it seem so real.

"But what would you do? What if Roxas knocked you up, would you tell him? Or would you leave…" Was it weird that I was just thinking 'what if' about that? I just decided to ignore the fact she mentioned Roxas and looked into what she was saying.

"You can't leave Cloud. He's going to take care of you. You need him. And he needs you… we all need you, Aerith." I managed a smile at the end of that.

"I don't think I can do this… not like this." She rubbed her already red eyes.

"How about I get you come clothes and you can clean up a little? It should help calm you down and you can tell Cloud. I'll take Roxas home." I was glad I could help her. It was almost an hour of sitting in here with her.

"Okay…" I eased onto a hunched over position and slowly stood up. Thoughts of how Cloud would react ran through my mind the entire time I was heading to her room. I opened the door and went straight to her walk-in closet. Inside I managed to find a t-shirt and sweatpants. I was surprised she even had lounge clothes like this; she was always so proper and fashionable. But I guess that'd have to change a little.

I went back to the bathroom, thankful the boys didn't notice. I glanced and saw Cloud still in the position he was in when I got here and Roxas was watching TV. Well, he was looking at the screen, but I doubt he was really watching it. He still had a worried look on his face.

"Here you go. Take your time." I told Aerith as I handed her the clothes I got her. She nodded and I exited the bathroom once more. I closed the door, leaning on it for a few moments. This really was crazy. One second I'm happy that Roxas finally got the drive to return home and the next one of my best friends may be pregnant. I bet Roxas felt even worse about it though, I mean he doesn't even know what's wrong. The thoughts that must be running through their heads are almost frightening. I was tempted to tell them, to tell Roxas.

I decided I should wait till Aerith comes out till I take Roxas home. And when I say 'take Roxas home' I mean get him out of the apartment. He can do whatever he wants. I just don't know if I could tell him what's wrong after we leave. I wouldn't want to disrespect Aerith like that. She might want it a secret for now.

"Aerith's taking a shower. She'll be out soon." I said as I entered the living room area. Roxas looked up at me and I gave him a sad smile. Cloud didn't move.

"Thanks, Naminé. I knew you could help." Roxas' voice came out as a whisper and I took a seat next to him. I gently placed a hand on his shoulder and looked at his face. I couldn't tell if he was happy Aerith was coming out, or still upset he wasn't the one to help.

"Roxas?" I asked, trying to stir some emotion out of him. He had no reason to be upset anymore. Aerith would come out and things would be better. She's mature enough.

He was still hunched over, resting his face in his hands. After a few moments of silence, he moved his head to face me. He didn't say anything though, which I found almost uncomfortable. He just stared into my eyes, it was like he was looking for the answers to his questions.

I couldn't move.

"Hey, guys." My head shot up and there Aerith was standing in front of the three of us. How I didn't notice her entrance is beyond me.

"Aerith, you worried us so much!" Roxas stood and gave her a hug. Cloud just stared at her before standing as well. I got a second to exchange glances with her. She was worried too.

"Roxas, we should leave Aerith and Cloud alone." I whispered once they broke apart. Roxas gave me a confused look and I just gave him a look saying 'just trust me'. He must've understood and followed me to put our coats on.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Aerith. I'm glad you're feeling better." Roxas said as we left. The last thing I saw was Aerith holding Cloud for dear life. I could tell she was about to cry. I'm glad Roxas exited before I did.

"So what was wrong with her?" Roxas asked once we were in the elevator.

I wasn't sure what to say. I didn't want to lie but I also didn't want to tell him. "Maybe you should wait to find out when she's ready for you to." I hope that didn't give anything away.

Silence. "Why won't you tell me?" I suddenly felt something warm intertwine with my hand. I looked down to see his hand covering mine. This was… weird. It was weird, nothing else. "You should trust me. I finally told you I wanted to go back home and now you won't even tell me what was wrong with one of my _best friends_." He gave me the biggest pout I have ever seen in my entire life.

"I hate you…" I muttered. He pulled me closer so I was facing him. He moved his hands to rest around my waist. I'm sure his goal was to make me feel as uncomfortable as possible. This was the old, jerk face Roxas coming back and I didn't like it.

"I hate you more. Now tell me."

"No." The elevator doors have never had better timing. I quickly rushed out, bidding him goodbye, and rushed home, not looking back.

I felt kind of bad for just leaving him, but he deserved it for pressuring me.

Once I got home, I immediately went to bed. But I ended up lying awake longer than I wanted.

I couldn't help but think about what was going to happen with Aerith and Cloud. I hope he took the news well. And I hope Roxas recovered and is happily dreaming about returning home.

Man, today was outrageous.

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. I just don't. I'm really sorry.

* * *

Sorry this took so long, guys (again)! We ran into some bumps in the road, but now it's here. And I know you're all worried this story will be discontined, but it will not be! This story will be finished properly, I guarantee it! We've just been so busy with things, one after the other. And I would like to say summer brings faster updates, but I cannot. I think cheerleading's going to be a monster this year so I won't have time since I'll either be practicing or too sore to move. But I think **GoldenSnitch07** needs some applause or a shout-out in your reviews for sticking around and being an amazing co-author!

So this chapter was basically just introducing the rest of the plot. It's mostly skin and bones but it you have any questions, feel free to ask! ..Don't you just want to give Roxas a big hug? I do. So I guess Naminé will have to do.

One quick note: I am working on a oneshot that I really know nothing about, so look out for that! It's taking forever to write, but hopefully I can get it up and you all will like it!

Special thanks to **startscribbling12 **and **chibixbabe** for putting up with the confusion I probably caused you. You guys are the bestest people ever! No joke :)

I actually have two shout-outs this week. I know I've missed only a million weeks since last update, but two is better than one, you know! This week's (first) shout-out goes to **Ruby C. Cullen **because that just made me laugh. And I want to also shout-out to **LivingHerOwnFairyTale **because not only did you compliment the story, but the review was solid and you had multiple little notes :)

* * *

_Please review. No flames please :)_


	19. December 20th

_B a r e l y _**Legal**

Was this really happening? Roxas was actually face to face with Jessica Malone, asking for extra vacation days. I'm almost completely positive she has never been confronted before. She always has her way and is too used to bossing people around (like me) to even listen to others. I watched as she held her cold gaze towards Roxas, her favorite photographer, manicured hands on her slim hips. She was wearing an overpriced burgundy sweater over black leggings today. She straightened her reddish brown hair and it framed her make-up covered face perfectly, letting her gold hoop earrings catch just the right light. It was disgusting to watch. I haven't fallen into the fashion industry quite yet.

After a while of watching them, Aerith appeared at my side. I hadn't talked to her since last Thursday; she didn't come to work on Friday. It was Monday now, so I'm sure she has something important to say.

"Hey, Nam." Aerith said with a quiet smile. She didn't necessarily look sad, just tired.

"How are you feeling?" I turned to face her. She was wearing dark skinny jeans and a pink button-up blouse. Nothing special unless you counted the brands.

"Better. Thanks for your help." She opened her arms and gave me a quick hug. I was glad to hear that.

"What did Cloud say?" I said in a quieter tone as to not attract attention.

"He told me he was scared. For some reason it made me feel a lot better. It let me know we were on the same level. He told me he'd stay with me through it all and we'd get married and be a proper family. Well, in more words, but you get the point. And he doesn't want us to worry about what our families will think, the only thing that matters is the baby." And she cracked a smile. For some reason I couldn't imagine Cloud saying all this, but I believe her. I'm just hoping the best for them.

"I'm so happy for you, Aerith. Things will work out and you're going to be the best mom ever. I'm sure of it." I smiled again. We stood there and chatted about it for a while longer before Roxas joined us. Aerith mentioned she wanted to wait to tell people though so we dropped the subject.

"How'd it go?" I asked him. Aerith walked away before she could be part of our conversation. I wonder why.

"Well, she said yes."

"That's great!" I threw my arms around Roxas' neck. "So when're you leaving?"

"You mean when are _we_ leaving."

"Yea, yea… wait, what?" I let my arms drop to my sides. "But it's Christmas. I have family, you know."

"Naminé, you have to! I already got you days off. And I don't think I'll be able to do it without you. You're one of my best friends." There he goes with the guilt trip. "Besides you and I both know you're sister is going to spend Christmas with her boyfriend's family," fiancé, "and you're parents are going on a cruise."

"But Kairi will be alone." I said after a few seconds of making it clear I was pouting.

"Stop pouting. If I remember correctly, she goes to her family's lodge every Christmas." Damn, he was right.

"I hate you."

"And I hate you more, haven't we discussed this before?" He smirked.

"You're going to his family's house for Christmas? That's great!" I did not need Kairi campaigning Roxas and I to get together as soon as I got home. Why did I even tell her?

"It's just to help him move on. I don't really want to go. I could've stayed home."

"But your mom did say you could 'just go to your little boyfriend's house. You won't miss us while we're on vacation.'?" She quoted my mother's last e-mail.

"Yes…"

"And it's going to actually happen! Isn't that crazy?"

"No."

"And amazing? And cute? And a great opportunity?" She went on. She was in her own little world.

"Roxas and I are just friends." How many times do I have to tell her that?

"Whatever. We will have to go shopping after the shoot Saturday." Oh yea, the second to last shoot was on Saturday. Then the last one was right after New Years. Then the store opening was at the end of the month. This advertising stuff took an insane amount of time.

"Fine. I'm going to bed." And I marched upstairs and threw on a white cami, Roxas' hoodie, and my yellow and white polka dot shorts. Why did I still have that thing? He's probably missing it. I feel like such a high school kid again. Flashbacks of cheerleading and adventures with my friends and sister filled my mind as I drifted off to sleep.

I wonder what Roxas' high school life was like; he didn't talk about it too much… I can't believe I'd be meeting his parents…

_**5 Days Later**_

I stared blankly at my reflection in the mirror as a stylist was doing my hair and another doing my make-up. I wasn't in much of a good mood today. I haven't had any good fun in a while and I was stressed about accompanying Roxas on his personal return home. I felt like such a disease. Even Aerith was doing better than me. She accepted everything, she was even happy about it. But who knew what went on in her mind.

My hair was being curled tightly and I was slowly being transformed into a new persona. My eye make-up was dark and smoky and my lip gloss was very light. It took a long time but eventually my hair was pulled into a loose up-do; many ringlets framed my face. I still wasn't used to having a tan look from going with Kairi or highlighted hair. But after this all I can happily go back to looking sickly. Yea, I was definitely a disease.

"This is your wardrobe today, miss." A young girl came into the dressing room with a moving rack with multiple cocktail dresses hanging on it. Each dress had a different set of jewelry with it. Kairi's store sure did sell a mixture of clothing.

I first slipped into a white strapless dress. It had a sweetheart neckline and ended mid-thigh. I put on a diamond necklace and matching earrings and white heels before being ushered to the set.

"You look so adorable." Kairi cooed at me as soon as she saw me. "You and Roxas look so good together." I gave her a playful glare as I walked past her and onto the set. It was a plain white backdrop with nothing around it. Roxas stood in the center looking straight at me. Was he actually smiling?

"What?" I asked, approaching him. He was wearing black slacks and dress shoes, a white dress shirt, a black blazer, and a thin black tie. This eerily reminded me of that night forever ago when we went to dinner with Kairi, Sora, and her parents.

"You look nice is all." Yea, it did.

"Oh… well, thanks."

The next several hours was filled with wardrobe changes, posing, and laughing. Roxas always found a way to do that. When will I get used to that? Probably never.

I was back in white skinny jeans, a white cami, and a navy zip-up hoodie standing out in the cold waiting for a taxi. I probably should have dressed a tad warmer. But I would be home soon.

"And where do you think you are going, little missy?" Kairi's voice filled my ears from somewhere behind me. I turned to see her standing there with her arms crossed. That black pea coat looked so warm. So did those dark jeans and UGG boots.

"Home?" I answered.

"Nuh-uh. You're going shopping with me. I thought we already went over this. You need clothes to impress Roxas' parents. And Roxas."

"But I don't wanna." After that I was shoved into the back of a taxi and on my way to the centre. Great, just great…

"So you need… a couple dresses, jeans, shirts, and pajamas."

"What's wrong with what I already have? You spend so much money on my clothes for no reason." She really needed to stop that.

"Oh whatever. And I was thinking some pretty lingerie. Just in case." She winked. She actually had the nerve to wink at me.

"I'm not afraid to fight you." I shot her a glare. And then I yawned. It didn't help my menacing appearance very well. "I wanna go home, Kairi…"

"Stop complaining, Naminé. We need to get this done before all the shops close."

Let's just say by the time I got home that night I had many new bags in my room.

"I'm really sad you're leaving soon. I will have to send your present with you and hope you wait to open it." We did this every year. We would exchange our gifts then wait till Christmas to open it and immediately text or call each other afterwards in thanks. It worked. "You'll have to get something for Roxas, you know." Kairi held up my end of the conversation all throughout breakfast until now.

"Do I have to?"

"Do you ever stop complaining?"

"No." I looked back at my cereal. She was right. I would have to buy Roxas Nabradia a Christmas present. What would he want? An air freshener for his fancy car might work… I wonder how he could afford that car. Photographers couldn't possibly make that much money. Maybe it was from… I don't know. Maybe I would find out someday.

"Hello? Earth to Naminé." I realized she was waving her hand in front of my face. "Stop spacing out and listen. I was thinking you could get him a new camera or something like that. And you could take pictures of yourself on it then give it to him. It'd be so cute!" Back when I thought she'd dropped the thought of Roxas and I getting together was so much nicer. Ex-girlfriends these days…

"How about I go buy him something and you stay here?" It was an excuse to have some time to myself. I needed to get real about this and realize I just had to help out a friend, nothing more, nothing less.

"But—"

"No, Kairi. Just relax. I'll be back later." I interrupted her. I ignored her pout and continued to clean up my dirty dishes and headed upstairs to get ready for the day. Today I just threw on rinse jeans, a pink tee with an obnoxious brand written across the chest, and my white Pumas. I jogged back downstairs to grab my usual messenger bag before running back upstairs to get my phone and put on my necklace. Once I thought I was ready I hurriedly flung on my white pea coat and was off.

Damn, I forgot gloves… Oh well.

About an hour later I found myself amongst many isles of technology. The centre had stores for everything. I figured I'd go with Kairi's camera idea. I could probably afford a good one since she insisted on paying for basically everything else I owned. And Roxas deserved it; we've been through a lot together. I just wouldn't take pictures of myself on it; that would be a little too far.

But I just couldn't decide on which one. There were fancy lenses and modes and all this stuff I've never even heard of. Not to mention, he probably already owned every camera he'd need. I couldn't do this without a list. I had already bought gifts for my family and sent them last weekend. And I even got Kairi something; an oversized, vintage clock fitting of a princess. She already had so many things, so that's why I got her something odd that she wouldn't have thought of. She could put it in her room or anywhere, I really didn't care. I thought she would've been harder to buy for, but Roxas is really starting to pose a problem.

'_Maybe if I just do some window shopping something will catch my eye_,' I thought to myself as I exited the store.

It only took twenty-two minutes of walking aimlessly in the cold for me to realize my hands were going numb. I should probably take shelter in a store, but didn't want to cause any trouble for taking advantage of the heat.

I just kept walking before finding a spot underneath a deep olive awning. It was starting to get dark and I still hadn't found anything yet. I stared adoringly into the shop window I was next to, envious of the heat. A small, snow white ball of fur lay curled up in the corner. Its little black nose was poking out from the lump. It was the most adorable thing I have ever seen.

'_Wait, what was I thinking? A dog? Really? I couldn't just buy him a puppy. I didn't know if he'd want it. I know he liked his dog before, but would that bring sadness? Or would it make him think I was trying to replace the memory? Besides, his apartment building probably didn't even allow pets. We weren't close enough that I could just buy it for him. I wasn't thinking clearly… Maybe someday though… No, Naminé, stop that. It won't ever happen. Just go buy him a gift card and be done with it.'_

Why do I put myself in those situations?

"Hey, coffee girl, aren't you freezing?" I heard a teasing voice from behind me, causing me to jump in surprise. "Woah, Naminé, calm down. It's just me." I turned around to smirk at the very blonde I had just been thinking of.

"A little, yes. Haven't I seen enough of you recently?" I joked back.

"Does that matter?" I just smiled, I really couldn't think of anything other than hot chocolate at this point. "Akitas, eh? That's what my dog is, you know." Roxas nodded toward the glass window behind me. I just nodded, digging my hands in my pockets.

We just stood there for a few moments and I cautiously removed my hands to see they had begun turning an unhealthy purple shade.

"Umm…" I just stared at my hands. Roxas was still looking in the window of the shop.

"What?" Roxas looked at me then down at my hands. "God, Naminé, did you not wear gloves?" He immediately grabbed my hands before I could move. They were so warm. I just pretended the new found heat was because of his gloves, nothing more. "You need to get home."

I knew I couldn't go back home without a present in hand. Kairi would go overboard then… But I couldn't buy something for the guy I was with, could I? No, I could not.

Roxas must've noticed my hesitation because he mentioned something about his place and dragged me to the side of the street and hailed a taxi within seconds.

Once I was safely in the taxi, I noticed Roxas was sitting closer than usual, and still held my hands firmly in his.

"Your hands need to be heated to normal slowly as to not screw them up even more." He smiled, bringing my hand to his face. Okay, maybe it wasn't his gloves that made me warm. "You're freezing!" He said, putting them back down on his lap where he massaged them. I felt so spoiled. But also a little odd. I knew Roxas was just trying to be nice since I was about to catch frostbite, but… I don't know. It was my own fault anyways. I could feel my blush heat up my face when he interlocked our fingers and stared out the window.

"Thanks." I said from Roxas' couch. He had wrapped me in a blanket after scolding me for wearing short-sleeves and was in the process of making some hot chocolate. I couldn't resist.

"No problem." Roxas walked over to join me, two mugs in hand. "It's not as good as my mom's homemade stuff, but it gets the job done." He smiled.

I graciously took the hot drink and began to sip it, savoring the taste. I could feel it warm my entire body.

"Let's just watch something till your hands warm up, okay? Then you can leave." Did I really have an option?

"Sounds good to me."

While watching some show about realty, Roxas found his way under the blanket and I found a way snuggled close to his side. Did best friends cuddle?

"I-I have to go." I muttered once the end credits began rolling and I realized how close we were. It wasn't that I was angry or anything. I just felt awkward. I didn't really know what to think. I mean I thought he was cute all along but ever since I considered him a best friend, things have been changing.

"Umm… see ya Monday." I heard Roxas call as I left.

What did I just do? I cannot stress enough to myself to not put myself in those situations…

"So, what'd you get?" Kairi greeted me as I came in. I ended up bringing home some soup and bread from Roxas' favorite café. I hoped she'd think that was why it took me so long to get back.

"A gift card." I answered simply. I stripped off my jacket and began preparing my meal on a tray.

Kairi didn't say much and began helping herself to the warm food. "There's a good movie on, watch it with me?"

"Sure."

I wasn't sure what to think. I thought I was done with being confused about these things and I'd just live life. But I just had to have something to worry about, didn't I? I would just cross my fingers this wouldn't affect our trip Wednesday…

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Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any other copyrighted thing I mentioned... I can't remember what that would be, but I do not own it :(

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This took long enough, didn't it? Well not only my co-author (**GoldenSnitch07**) was busy these past few weeks, but so was I! But I wrote this chapter and revamped it a couple of times and now it's here! This chapter wasn't actually edited by my co-author or anyone so that would be why it sucks. So sorry! At least it's here, right? I hope so...

The title of this chapter goes with the last day in the chapter (as all are, hopefully), which would be a Sunday, the 10th. So it's the 14th for the first part, then the 19th when it's the photoshoot. Just to clear that up.

I can't actually remember what things I would say about this chapter other than some more plot stuff finally got in there somehow.. And the next chapter will _hopefully_ be Naminé packing and them leaving, and arriving there... Something like that. But who knows since I'm not good at planning ahead (but I do have the rest of the plot decided). So I hope you enjoyed. And once again, if you're confused and have any questions, feel free to ask in a review! :)

This week's shout-out goes to **xXkunoichi-chanXx **because you brought up a point I didn't even consider. And that may or may not be answered since I am a forgetful author. So I apologize ahead of time if that indeed occcurs... And I feel horrible to ask after being such a author that doesn't even update her most popular story, but it'd be nice to get a meaningful review that I can shout-out to next chapter! :)

This is my last note, can you all check out my other stories if you get a chance or are bored? I once again feel rude to ask, but the worst that can happen is that you don't, right? Well I just think some of my more recent oneshots need some love (such as _Crawl_ and _Practice Makes Perfect_). So thanks! :)

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_Please review. No flames please :)_


	20. December 23rd

_B a r e l y _**Legal**

"Naminé, you should get packing now if Roxas is coming to get you early tomorrow morning. You should have been packing days ago as it is." Kairi reminded me for the millionth time Tuesday night. It wasn't my fault I wasn't good at packing. She should've seen me pack to visit her here when she first moved. Next thing I knew I was attending Radiant Garden University and living here. But I shook that from my head and focused on the present and how I should be readying myself to spend the holiday with Roxas and his family. Oh joy…

"Seriously, Naminé, Kairi's going to start seizing if you keep sitting on that couch." I turned around to glare at Sora, whom was up on the balcony with Kairi, looking down at little old me.

"Get your freaking ass up here before I jump! I swear I will!" Kairi called. Was it really that big of a deal? Apparently. And so I just rolled my eyes and slowly trudged up to my room where she was waiting for me.

"Good luck. I'll see you in a couple hours." Sora laughed and trotted downstairs to take my previous spot on the couch. I slowly pushed the door shut, watching it for as long as I thought I could get away with, before giving Kairi my full attention. She couldn't look any happier if she tried. Her constant mood swings drove me insane sometimes.

"What?" I asked, just noticing she was sitting on my bed, surrounded by my things, a big white suitcase sitting open on the floor.

"We're packing light. Just one piece of luggage and a bag for hair stuff and that kind of thing." Kairi explained, standing up.

"Okay, let's start." I grumbled, walking over to my desk where I had a list typed up of things I'd need to take. "I'm staying for a full week. So seven outfits and some pajamas will do."

"You obviously don't know what you're doing. Just sit and I'll do it for you."

"Thanks." I muttered, sitting in my desk chair. Once again a _Kairi compliment_ was thrown at me.

And so I sat and watched like a good friend would do. She was putting in various warm outfits of which I approved and a couple sets of pajamas varying from shorts to long pants. I made sure I kept Roxas' hoodie out of the mix. I'll probably wear that for the trip there tomorrow. She also put in a wrapped box which I chose to ignore. I figured it was just my Christmas present that she had planned on sending with me. I just really hope she forgot the whole 'lingerie' idea; that would be something I rather not explain…

Once she was done with clothes, she began putting in some make-up into my bag and I helped get all of my other necessities without complaint.

"Aqua will probably be there with Ven, if you'll need any make-up help."

"I think I can manage."

Kairi ignored my comment and went on. "And I'm just one call away! Or you can use your camera on your laptop and see me!"

"…Okay." I figured arguing wouldn't do me any good.

"Oh, Naminé, I'm going to miss you! I know we do this every year and everything, but this time you'll be with Roxas. You'll have to fill me in on every second," Kairi cooed, laying stomach down my bed, facing me. "And keep in mind Roxas' parents are kind of like mine, in the least way possible. You'll see what I mean. But you'll be sure to charm them." Now I was kind of worried. What _if _they didn't like me? What would I do? I could probably go to a hotel or something. No, that wouldn't happen, Roxas wouldn't let it, would he? He was really excited about going home so I wasn't sure what to think. He didn't seem nervous. And nothing in any of his stories about his childhood was scary or intimidating. It sounded like he had it nice.

Oh, Roxas. So much has happened between us. We hated each other and became best friends in less than a year. Was that healthy? It must be since we're doing fine. I just hope this isn't moving too fast. There I go again talking like I want a relationship with him. I don't. I probably never will. Wait where did that probably come from?

"Naminé? Hello?" Kairi asked. I noticed she was frantically waving a hand in my face. Sora was standing in the corner of my room. How long was I out of it?

"What? Oh, sorry, Kai. I was just… distracted."

"Whatever. You should probably get to sleep if you're going to be leaving early."

"Right. Sorry. Good night." I muttered, standing up and stretching.

"I'll probably be sleeping when you leave tomorrow. Just come in and say bye, okay?" Kairi asked from the doorway. I nodded.

"See you, Naminé. Have fun with Roxas, tell him I said hi." Sora waved and I went over to give him a quick hug before he left my room, closing the door behind him. I knew Kairi was expecting her hug tomorrow, she was weird like that.

I looked around my room to see my white piece of luggage in the corner with my bag resting on top. I would have to remember to grab my messenger bag tomorrow before I left. I was like Roxas with that thing, I had to have it.

I just stood there playing with my silver heart necklace, deciding what to do. _Sleep._

I woke up to the soft buzzing of my cell phone on the comforter. Why was I sleeping with my phone? I ignored my mental question and looked at the screen. _New message. Roxas. View Now. View later._

View now of course.

_To: Naminé_

_From: Roxas_

_morning nam. see you in half an hour. i'll be knocking at your door :)_

I loved sweet texts to wake up to and all, but half an hour? That was barely enough time to even hug Kairi! Okay, that was an exaggeration, but I had to hurry.

I flung myself out of bed and into the shower. After cleaning myself I put on a pair of black sweat pants, a t-shirt, and Roxas' hoodie. I threw my hair into a loose ponytail and put on a minimal amount of make-up before lugging my bags downstairs. I looked at the clock to see I had ten minutes. That wasn't too bad. I stuffed a granola bar down my throat before brushing my teeth (putting that in my bag as well, no worries) and running back into Kairi's room.

"Kairi." I shook her arm, waiting for her to wake up. "Get up."

"Nam?" She asked, opening her eyes. "Leaving already?" She sat up and rubbed her eyes.

"Yea, Roxas is going to be here soon. I'll miss you." I wrapped my arms around her.

"I'll miss you too, Nam. Bye." She returned the hug. I could hear my phone vibrating from in my pocket. That was probably Roxas saying he was waiting in the hallway.

I released Kairi and gave her one final wave before leaving her room and running back downstairs and to the door, grabbing my messenger bag in the process. Thank goodness I didn't forget.

"Morning, sunshine." Roxas' voice filled my ears as soon as I flung the door open. I noticed he too was wearing sweatpants. He had on a white t-shirt and a Hollister zip-up hoodie from what I could tell. Those sure are warm.

"Good morning, Roxas. My bags are right here. Can you carry this?" I threw my other bag at him. He caught it easily and held the door open as I wheeled my luggage out the door. I gave my apartment one last look before locking the door and following Roxas to the elevator.

We stood in a comfortable silence in the elevator as I watched the digital number slowly count down to one.

"So I'm thinking about changing at a rest stop before we get there. I don't really want to look like a bum for the first time seeing my parents in years. Is that okay?" I could tell Roxas was tired; he normally didn't talk about mundane things such as this.

"Yea, it's fine. I'll probably do the same." I returned my gaze to the dial.

"My car's out front, I was lucky to find a space." He continued to drone on.

"Your normal one?" I teased, knowing that was what he meant. I highly doubted we would take his fancy one. I still didn't know how he afforded that actually…

"Yes." He glanced at me. I flashed him a smile and we went out and loaded my bags in his black car.

"Naminé?" Roxas interrupted my thoughts. I was just calmly looking out the window, watching the city disappear in the mirror. It took a while but we were finally just cruising along on the interstate.

"Yes?" I turned to look at him. He looked so peaceful, just sitting there with a hand on the wheel, the other resting on the door. His side profile made him appear so much older, or maybe it was his expression that did it. His mouth was positioned in a straight line and his light blue eyes stared on straight ahead, a few stray bangs hanging down to meet them. He looked like a statue. A strong, peaceful statue. But why did everything he do this morning seem forced? Ever since we got into the elevator he started acting like this.

"I'm really glad you're coming with me." He finally said in an almost whisper. "I know I'm probably acting weird to you, but I finally realized this was real. I am seriously going back. That, and I am actually pretty tired." He snuck a quick glance at my expression. I tried to give a look of understanding, but probably looked surprised. Why must he read my mind? "Just give it a while, once we get back closer to Twilight Town and I see where I grew up again, I'll be fine. I'm sure of it." He smiled.

"It's okay, Roxas." Was all that came out. I guess it was better than saying nothing. "I was happy to come." I added on to the end.

I noticed Roxas' smile never left his face.

I slowly opened my eyes to be greeted with the bright blue sky and the nearly blinding sun. I sat up and looked around. It appeared to me that we were at a gas station so I turned around to look out the back window to see Roxas leaning against the car, waiting for the tank to fill up.

"Oh, you're up. Sorry, I stopped to get gas." He got into the car after paying. "There's a rest stop over there", he nodded ahead and I saw a huge rest stop. I was surprised I didn't notice it before; I'll blame that on the blinding snow. It was one that had a mini-food court set up inside. "We can stop to get some lunch before continuing." I nodded my head in response. I must have slept more than I thought, it was already noon.

I attempted to stretch while still buckled in as Roxas drove over to find a parking spot, rousing a laugh out of him.

"Ughh…" I sighed, looking in the built-in visor mirror. I looked disgusting. "Roxas, I can't be seen like this." Wow, I sound like Kairi.

"Shut up, you look fine to me." I turned to look at his expression to see he was already getting out of the car. That was odd; I was expecting some form of his classic smirk. And so I redid my lazy ponytail and tried to wipe all the sleep from my eyes before quickly following him. I took a hold of his arm once I noticed the very creepy looking business men standing out in the cold. I just thought that was a tad odd since it was basically freezing.

"What?" Roxas raised an eyebrow at my action.

"Nothing." I glanced back over to the men to see they were gone. That was really weird actually.

"Whatever." Roxas just ignored my hand and I left it there for some reason. "What do you want?" I noticed we were surrounded by many vendors and stands. I don't think I've hated fast food any more than just now.

"Gross." I noticed how run down some of the 'restaurants' appeared.

"How about a coffee?" I was pulled along to the cleanest looking place in the rest stop. Thank goodness for chain cafes.

I was on autopilot as I ordered my usual coffee and a scone. We sat in silence at a nearby table next to the window.

"Can't we eat in the car?"

"I rather not have all of that on my seats." He gestured to all the crumbs I was making on the table. "Why?"

"I just don't feel good about this place."

"Just eat, Naminé. Then we'll be on our way and in a warm house soon enough." I couldn't help but how his eyes lit up at the thought of home. '_Why did he have to be so cute? Oh shut up, Naminé.'_

"Fine." I pouted and continued to eat my warm scone. Wait, was he blushing? No, he wasn't. I need to stop being silly. I was just tired still. And hungry. I should be concentrating on my oversized pastry and not his perfectly tanned face.

"Are you satisfied?" I poked Roxas' cheek as we were pulling out onto interstate again.

"I'm driving. I can't talk. I am one with the road." I laughed at his response, knowing full well he knew I was right.

When we were leaving the rest stop we saw the business men again (Roxas was the one taking my arm that time) approaching a girl who appeared a little younger than me. I was immediately infuriated and ready to storm over when I realized that they did not know each other and were just a little too close. In a matter of seconds a boy her age came running over, causing them to back off and speed away in their car (after a few choice words were exchanged, of course). The sight of the boy comforting her and walking to their car helped me calm down as Roxas and I returned to his vehicle.

And despite how horrible that entire situation was, I was still right. There was definitely something up with that rest stop. But as long as that girl was with her guy right now I felt secure. Because now I could rub it in Roxas' face.

"You know I'm right." I said, returning my gaze to the window. The terrain slowly became hillier before flattening out into rolling hills again and trees became denser. I knew Roxas lived near a beach though so I was utterly confused as to where we were. And so I put my earphones in and settled with daydreaming for the rest of the ride.

"Naminé?" I heard a soft whisper in my ear. It was a charming, husky tone that I seemed to cling to, wanting more. I could feel stray strands of short hair tickling my cheek as the owner of the voice leaned closer. I couldn't help but smile as I opened my eyes. I was surprised to see it was Roxas staring back at me. That was the strangest dream I've ever had, it completely blinded me from the obvious: Roxas was the only other person in the car. Wait a second, I had been sleeping again? I will not be tired tonight, I knew that.

"Hmm?" I mumbled in my dreamy state. We were still driving, what did he need?

"We're nearing Twilight Town. I wanted to show you where I grew up." I just noticed how dark it had gotten, the controls setting a neon green glow on Roxas' face.

"Okay." I adjusted my seat so I was sitting straight up. I watched as Roxas smoothly pulled onto the next exit and cruised down the road, looking ever so comfortable.

"Well, we're going to enter town and go that way to get to my house, or you could bypass the traffic otherwise," he explained.

The tree lined road turned into a small town consisting mostly of soft beige stucco buildings. It looked so cozy and warm. It felt safe. There were many shops and what looked like an antique tram still running, doing its last trip of the day. Many buildings were shutting down for the night and I noticed many people trying to get home in the snow. A few people waved at my curious stare and I knew this was one of those sleepy towns where everyone knew each other by their first name. It was odd picturing a younger Roxas living here.

Roxas pulled into a parking lot and got out without saying anything. I soon followed suit to realize he was already halfway towards an old building.

"Roxas! Wait!" I yelled, watching as he stopped and looked at me. I jogged up to him and linked my arm with his again.

"I think there's still one more tram going for tonight and I wanted to show you some more things."

It took awhile but I found myself sitting next to Roxas in an empty tram save for an elderly couple in the corner with whom I assumed was their teenage grandson.

I was quiet as Roxas pointed out various shops he used to go to, including an ice cream stand that I figured was a frequented visit for him. But when we neared a bigger building with a flag pole out front he grew quiet. The elderly couple and their grandson exited and Roxas got up and followed. I was once again forced to quickly follow him in silence.

I stood on the sidewalk as I watched Roxas slowly approach the giant brick building. There was a large sign out front reading '_Twilight Town High School. Home of the Lions_.'

"This was my high school." Roxas said in a somewhat monotone voice. He was getting in that mood that I thought was gone a long time ago. He was home, what could be ailing him?

"It's really nice, Roxas." I approached him and cautiously wrapped an arm around his waist. It took a few moments but I soon felt a soft pressure on my shoulders knowing he put his arm around me as well.

"Umm… I have… I have a lot of memories from this place. It's been a while." I looked up to see Roxas' expression was flat. What was he thinking?

"Yea, it's weird looking at my old high school when I'm home too." I tried to make him feel better. "It feels like another life after college was over."

"Yea… it does. But I'm glad I was able to come back." Roxas said before pulling away and walking back down the walkway and to the sidewalk. He turned and held a hand out. "You coming?" I couldn't tell if his smile was real or not from this distance.

I caught up to him, linking our arms, and we kept walking. The setting changed back into the main square where our car was parked, and we kept going up a nearby hill. This really was a small town. This new area was filled with more shops. As we entered, Roxas detoured to the left and we walked down more steps to an empty, snow covered sandlot.

"I spent a lot of time here. Especially in the summers… Have you ever heard of Struggle?"

"No." I responded, taking in the setting. And my response was apparently not the right one because he went off explaining the odd sport of beating each other with bats, trying to collect balls onto your Velcro helmet and vest.

"I played it a lot when I was a kid." He finished. "My friends and I were crazy about it. I won a tournament once actually… we went to the beach five times that summer." I figured that was probably a lot to people around here. I wouldn't know since I grew up on an island and all. "Look." Roxas pointed up and I caught sight of a very tall clock tower. How I didn't see that first off didn't really surprise me at this point. "We used to go up there and eat ice cream and watch the sunsets…" He trailed off into that mood again.

"That's really high up. You must've been pretty brave." I laughed. But he didn't. "You'll have to show it to me sometime." I placed a hand on his face, trying to get his attention.

"Huh? Oh, yea, I will." He mumbled. It killed me seeing him like this. He was my best friend after all. Just best friends. Kairi was still higher on my inner totem pole, I reminded myself, trying to keep in the correct mind set. "Let's keep going." I nodded and so we went back up another set of stairs to what I figured was a back alley. It looked abandoned this late. "Shit…" I heard Roxas say. We were facing an old ratty fence that had a piece of material draping over it. I wondered what was back there.

I suddenly felt a sharp pull on my arm and we took a quick right and then a left and back to the place we started before the sandlot. "If you go up there, you get to the train station, where the clock tower is." He said, trying to make conversation. "But we should probably get to my house before it gets too late."

And so we made the trek back to where Roxas' car was and continued our journey to Roxas' house. Once we left town, we took a few back roads into the forest and back out where there were no trees, mostly just fields and open lots. We kept going before coming upon a giant, snow covered lot.

I noticed there was a house in the distance, emitting a calm orange glow from the windows. Roxas turned into what was a very long driveway towards the house in the distance. He lived there? That house was huge.

As we pulled up I got a better look at the house. The bottom (where the garage was, beneath the two stories) of the two story house was made of rocks and the rest of it was a beige siding. It had white trim and dark chocolate shutters and a dark porch towering over the garage. The car ports were the only exposed part of the basement so it really looked like three stories from where we were since you had to walk up the stairs to the porch to go in the front door.

I took note of the holly and fake candles in the windows and the chimney on the side of the house. It made it look very homey. I remembered what Kairi had said about them being like her parents in the slightest way. I got it, they were rich. I wonder what they did for a living. I was impressed by the house and it was only the outside. I also put together his car mystery. Was it a gift from his parents? Or did he just have a lot in his account from when he left home? I might ask one of these days.

"This is it." Roxas said just above a whisper. I looked over to see he was smiling, a very good sign.

He parked the car so we were partially under the porch. We both got out, getting our bags before tramping up the steps. I was actually very nervous, coming unannounced. They hadn't seen their son in four years and when they finally will it's a surprise. The surprise is he brought a girl they didn't know. What will they think of her?

"Ready?" Roxas asked with a smirk as he smoothly took a spare key that was in hiding and unlocked the door, pushing it open. He put the key back and we walked into the warmth. I closed the door behind me, turning. I was immediately in awe. Good thing I was used to Kairi's excessiveness or else I would have been even more surprised.

Where we had walked in was the kitchen. There were dark chocolate cabinets and a matching island with cream colored countertops and top-notch appliances to say the least. I took note the floor was a subtle travertine tile, pulling all the accent colors and cabinetry together. It looked like dark red and dark green were favorite accent colors as I continued to look around me. There was a breakfast nook to my right; large windows next to the front door illuminated the dark table. If there weren't lights on in the kitchen or in adjoining rooms it would've been pitch dark.

To my left was a front room that appeared to be an office complete with a sleek computer and a piano in the corner. Everything was so warm and inviting.

"Turn on the light." I heard Roxas say. I looked to my right again to see a switch next to the front door and I flicked it. That was better. I also noticed there was a hallway straight ahead and a doorway to my right from the kitchen. I could barely make out a dining room in there. But there was a light coming from that direction and the hallway so I assumed there was a room back there that was connected. The hallway appeared to take a turn to the right at the end so it made sense. "That's my room on the left. The last door." Roxas saw me staring down the hallway. There was a door on the left and then another further down where the hall turned right. There was also a door to the right as well. I'd have to memorize this layout.

Suddenly I heard barking and a black Akita was bounding down the hallway towards Roxas. I didn't even realize it had only been seconds since we entered. It felt like minutes.

"Mira!" Roxas said, kneeling down. I watched as his dog licked his face and he petted her eagerly. He really did miss her. "This is Mira, Naminé. My dog that I had to leave. She's so big now!" Roxas glanced at me before continuing to pet his puppy.

"Mira, must you bark at everything that moves? If it's another deer—" I heard a feminine voice and a middle aged woman walked from around the corner and remained frozen in the hallway. She had short, graying blonde hair, and from what I could tell, the same light blue eyes that her sons had. She was rather tall and had a very petite form, and creamy white skin. She looked very young for her age. She took a few steps ahead until she was right in front of Roxas. I noticed she was wearing a plain white t-shirt and red and white striped pajama bottoms, reading glasses in her hand. She set them on the counter and Roxas stood up. "Roxas?" Her voice was shaky.

"Yea, mom, it's me. I'm back." I couldn't see his face but I could tell he was smiling.

"Roxas…" Said blonde was in his mother's outstretched arms in an instant. Her eyes were shut tightly, trying not to cry. But one tear managed to escape and I felt like such an intruder. "My baby's here… My baby… Oh, Roxas." They shared a long hug before breaking apart; her hands remained on his shoulders. "What are you doing here? Are you alright?" Her maternal instincts appeared.

"I'm fine. I missed you. It's been long enough and I was ready to come back." I didn't sense any anger from her. It was either she was so happy to see him or that she never was mad. But why didn't Roxas go back home if she wasn't mad? I was confused. "I love you, mom."

"I love you too, baby."

"What's all this commotion?" A deep voice echoed down the hallway. It was similar to Roxas' in a way. Soon a middle aged graying blonde appeared around the corner just as his wife had. He looked exactly like Roxas but older of course and his hair was much shorter, but still spiky. He had tanned skin like his boys and his blue eyes looked like they were slowly turning gray. "Ashe, what's this?" He spoke up, taking a step into the kitchen. He was wearing a gray t-shirt and blue pajama pants. His slim figure made him look much younger as well.

"It's Roxas, Raslar." She turned to him.

"Roxas." He approached his son. I noticed Roxas had his head down. Was he worried what his father thought of him? "It's good seeing you, son." A smile appeared on his sharp features.

"Dad?" Roxas looked up and was embraced by his father.

"It's been a while."

Roxas laughed. "Yea, dad, it has." They pulled out of the hug and I just realized Roxas' mother was looking in my direction. I was thankful we had changed while still in town. I had put on dark jeans, my UGGS, a white slouch sweater and my usual heart necklace. Roxas had put on jeans and a dark gray sweater.

"Roxas, who is this?" She smiled at me.

"Oh, this is Naminé. She's a really great friend." Roxas smiled at me.

"Nice to meet you, Naminé. Thank you very much for bringing Roxas home." It was as if she knew everything that happened between us when she looked me. But I had to admit, that was pretty impressive that she just knew it was me bringing him here.

"Pleasure is all mine, Mrs. Nabradia." I bowed slightly out of habit. I used to do that to Kairi's parents until Kairi finally knocked it out of me.

"Please just call me Ashe. Or mom, that's always a favorite around this house." She glanced at Roxas before walking up and giving me a friendly hug. I felt so comfortable here already.

"Hey, there, Naminé." Roxas' dad came up and gave me a firm handshake.

"Hello, sir." He didn't have a preferred name so I internally thanked myself for being respectful.

"Oh you dears must be so tired. It's so late… Well I'll have to set up a bed for you, Naminé." She began walking to the doorway to the right. "Oh I can't. Ven and Aqua are already asleep in the guest room. Do you mind taking Roxas' bed? He can have the couch."

"I don't remember agreeing to this." Roxas piped in.

"Calm down, Roxas. Be nice to your guest." I smirked at Roxas' annoyed expression.

"Come on dear, you can help me set it up." I followed Roxas' mom down the hall, bags in tow. She stopped at the first door on the left to grab some sheets and continued down the hall to Roxas' room on the left.

She opened the door and I was once again impressed. Roxas' room looked like it was two put together. The first part had a sofa and a closet on the right wall and there was a small step to the section where his bed was. I noticed there were many posters and other school related things on the dark green walls. Most of the floating shelves were filled with awards and there was a big window behind the headboard of his navy comforted bed.

I assisted Roxas' mom with putting the light blue sheets she retrieved on the couch and she threw on a few pillows and a blanket from the bed. "Roxas will have to deal with this. If you need any more pillows or blankets, they're in that closet in the hall. I'm sure Roxas would get them for you if you asked. He seems to really like you." She talked as if we'd known each other for a long time. I kind of liked it.

"I should be fine, thanks. You have a really nice home here."

"Thank you, dear." She turned to leave. "Raslar and I were just reading in the living room if you need us. You kids need to sleep."

"Okay." I watched her leave and I continued to explore Roxas' room. It looked like a typical teenage boy's room, since that would've been the last time he lived here.

Something behind the door caught my eye. I walked over and closed the door to reveal a bulletin board. It was covered in little posters and signs reading 'Lions' and other school spirited notes. There were also a lot of pictures of a brunette girl. I recognized Roxas' photography immediately. The girl was always caught in the perfect light. She had curly dark brown hair and bright green eyes. She was wearing a red and gold cheerleading uniform in most of the pictures.

Was this an ex-girlfriend? Why did I feel so uptight all of a sudden? She was just so perfect. Like an angel.

My eyes downcast and I wondered back over to my suitcase. I opened it and pulled out the pajamas nearest the top, dark blue pants and a white t-shirt. I was rather plain.

"There you are." I turned to see Roxas coming in with his luggage. "My folks are out in the living room so I'm just going to change and go talk to them." I nodded and stood up with my pajamas.

"Where can I change?" I asked, not wanting Roxas to watch me do so.

"The bathroom's the door on the right when we came in. When you go out my room just go straight down the rest of the hall and the living room's right there. I'll be there when you're done." I followed his directions and went to change. The little bathroom was adorable. The house was all consistently decorated and extravagant. I quickly changed and tried to fix my appearance before going down the hall and to the living room. I took note this room led to both the living room and dining room that led to the kitchen. There were stairs on the right wall where the dining room was that led to upstairs. There was also a door to my left which I assumed led downstairs to the garage.

Straight ahead of me was the vast living room. There was a deep, beige-colored, suede couch facing away from me and two matching chairs on either side. The one to the right was a matching chair-and-a-half and to the left was a matching recliner. In front of the couch was a dark coffee table and on the wall in front of me was an entertainment system complete with a flat screen mounted on the wall.

Roxas' mom was sitting on the couch and his dad was in the recliner. Roxas himself was sitting on the floor in front of the chair-and-a-half, back against its soft material. He noticed me and waved me over to sit in the chair he was leaning on. I saw he was wearing dark gray shorts and a white t-shirt. At least I wasn't the only plain one here.

For some reason I felt so at home as I took my place behind Roxas and looked around. Everything fit so nicely and it was great hearing Roxas and his parents exchange stories. Time flew by and it wasn't till Roxas' dad motioned we all go to sleep till I realized how tired I had gotten. Must have been all the walking in town that did it.

I watched as Roxas hugged his mom good night before going back to his room. He followed me and made himself comfortable on the couch. I couldn't help but notice his unreadable expression when he closed the door and glanced at the bulletin board.

"Good night, Naminé." I turned off the light on his end table.

"Night, Roxas." I replied, burying myself in the covers. Who knew how long it had been since he slept in here every night and it still smelled like him, exactly like his hoodie. Needless to say, I easily fell asleep that night. I have an interesting week ahead of me. Kairi will want to hear about our adventures.

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Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Hollister, to my utter dismay.

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I'm pretty sure these extremely delayed updates aren't anything new these days, eh? I'm sorry about that, but we have been busy! But this time, my lovely co-author (**GoldenSnitch07**) managed to edit this chapter and make it acceptable. And hopefully it's unusual length will make up for the delay. And it has a decent amount of subtle fluff, I'd say. Those two are coming along pretty good. But this means the end is drawing near! But no worries, it'll take a bunch more chapters to do that. I have many ideas to satify you guys.

This chapter put in some answers and more questions to the plot, so feel free to ask anything in your reviews. I hope it was a good read.

This chapter's shout-out goes to **DragoNik** for being a hip new reviewer! Thanks for the reviews, budd. And I'd also like to throw out a quick thanks to those of you that favorited and alerted this story since the last update. That shows this story still gets read and that excites me! I also appreciated the reviews and would love more. Thanks :)

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_Please review. No flames please :)_


	21. December 24th

_B a r e l__y_** Legal**

"Naminé, dear, wake up." I slowly opened my eyes to see Roxas' mother standing in the doorway. I had almost forgotten I was at his house. "Sorry to get you up, but we have a busy day ahead of us. Feel free to join Aqua and I in the kitchen once you get ready." I watched as she closed the door with a soft smile on her face.

The next thing I did was look towards the couch only to find that it was empty and all the sheets askew. I suppose Roxas wasn't the type to make his bed in the morning. I wonder where it was he went. It didn't sound like his mother was planning on me being with him at all today. But I guess I shouldn't complain about that. I was partially relieved actually; I just wondered what we would be doing without him.

Once I got up and made both of our beds, a habit of mine, I grabbed my clothes and crept into the shower. I always hated showering somewhere that wasn't my own place, but it wasn't too strange here. I assumed it was because of how welcomed Roxas' family made me feel.

I ended up taking a quick shower and threw on my clothes and make-up before heading towards the kitchen. I hoped Roxas' mom approved of my clothes. She probably will since Kairi picked it all out. Today I was wearing what I called a fancy cardigan. It was gray and navy horizontally striped and had these little puffs of gray over the shoulder, like an overlay, and a white cami underneath the long sleeve, button-up sweater. I also wore a pleated gray skirt that the sweater hung over and extremely tight black leggings. I had yet to put on my gray slouch boots.

"There you are. Good morning, dear. Are you hungry?" Roxas' mom asked, her head already in the fridge. I suppose I should refer to her as Ashe, so I can get used to calling her that. I wasn't quite ready to call her mom.

"Not incredibly. I can get something myself, you don't have to serve me." I internally laughed when she gave me the same smirk her youngest son gave me all the time.

"I'll just get you some toast then. Strawberry jelly okay with you?" She asked. I watched as she ignored any response I gave and started making me breakfast, despite my objection.

"It's fine, Naminé. She's always like that." I turned to see Aqua sitting at the kitchen table. I hadn't seen her since July and she had changed so much. Her bright blue hair was now a slightly more tame shade, but still appeared natural, but was cut short. It really fit her face, with the bangs and everything, I liked it. She also looked much older, but that was probably due to the fact of her not wearing 'clubbing' attire. She looked very comfortable in her dark jeans, white long sleeved shirt, and vest.

"Hey, Aqua. Kairi knew you'd be here." I smiled, taking a seat across from her.

"And Kairi's always right. Sorry I won't be able to take her place but I'll be sure to help you if you need anything." Her smile seemed off.

"She talked to you, didn't she?"

"Yes." She let out a sigh before laughing.

"Here you go, Naminé." That was quick. I looked down to see Ashe had set a plate of two jelly lathered pieces of toast in front of me. She soon returned with a glass of milk and joined us at the head of the table.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome. You're going to need your energy for today. Roxas didn't bother to mention you two were coming but luckily I have something for you tonight at my store. I was planning on going there today and do some other things in preparation." What was tonight? Wait a second; it was Christmas Eve, wasn't it?

"Store?" I asked politely, choosing a different route in conversation.

"Oh yes, didn't Roxas tell you? I own my own boutique in town. It's nothing special. Since Raslar's family helped found the train station it was only right for me to do something to occupy myself. As you might have been able to tell, the train is a big part of business to this town and is very important. It can explain why this family is kind of… extravagant." Oh I get it now. That's actually really cool, in a way. "And tonight is the annual Christmas Eve Gala at the Twilight Town Country Club. It's in the ballroom so you'll be needing a gown." That explains a lot. But a Gala? Kairi was more of that type. I was always so awkward at those kinds of things, despite how independent I claimed to be. It was just a shock that Roxas was hiding all of this. I didn't get any it from the stories he told me. I guess that just shows how level headed his family is.

"Um, thank you. I don't mean to intrude on anything." I picked at my toast, glancing at Ashe.

"Oh, it's fine, dear! Actually, it's quite wonderful. Roxas was always so unenthusiastic about going every year. He said it wasn't his thing. But I suppose I should be thankful he acted right. Maybe bringing you will give him a reason to not complain." Complaining, huh? Sounds just about right.

"Where _is_ Roxas?" I asked, finally realizing he wasn't in the house.

"He's with his father and Ven. They're… doing something important. For the Gala." That last part sounded strange, as if she were making it up.

"Oh."

"So we'll meet them tonight back here before we leave."

I finished eating and soon found myself loaded in Ashe's red Prius, ready to go to town. So many things were explained this morning, I was overwhelmed. The things Roxas made me go through on a daily basis…

"Here we are." I looked up to see a two story wedding gown boutique towering over me. It definitely wasn't 'nothing special' like Ashe had let on earlier. It was so light and ethereal compared to the sandy buildings it was snuggled between. This building was cream stucco with crisp white trim and lush green vines growing on it. Snow covered multiple hanging baskets and what appeared to be flower beds on the ground. I peered into the big windows to see that many elaborate dresses were on display. I returned my gaze to the dark gray door in front of me as it opened, Ashe beckoning me in.

No one was inside which told me it must have been closed. Ashe didn't bother turning on any lights since the daylight streamed in all the windows. But something finally hit me. What did she think of Roxas and I? This was a wedding gown boutique.

"I know what you're thinking, but some of these gowns aren't for brides. There are some ball gowns and party type dresses that I want to see you in. I have a feeling which one you'll like though, so let's see if I'm right." '_Roxas must have inherited the freaky mind reading thing_', I thought as I silently followed Ashe and Aqua up a nearby staircase and into another room full of dresses. But I took note we were walking towards a section that wasn't entirely white. "High school girls come here for prom dresses sometimes, so I try to keep a variety."

I watched as she picked out multiple dresses and Aqua ushered me to the dressing room area. It was a circular area with a pedestal in the middle and a single dressing room stall branched from there. A giant mirror was leaning on a nearby wall.

"This is a private area, by the way." Ashe mentioned.

"Don't worry, she made me do this too when I first came since I forgot to bring a dress fitting of a Gala." Aqua's laugh filled my ears.

I was overwhelmed as Ashe basically pushed me into the stall with the four gowns she had picked for me to try on. "Start with the yellow one!" I heard her voice and so I quickly stripped down and slid on the dress.

It was tight at the bodice with a sweetheart neckline and poofed into a giant skirt fitting of Belle of Beauty and the Beast. I looked kind of awkward in the dress, in my opinion, but walked out to show Ashe and Aqua anyways.

"Oh, it looks good, but try another." Ashe said as Aqua nodded in agreement.

And so I went on trying two other dresses, both black. I liked the third one, but Ashe wasn't satisfied yet. I wondered if the last dress was the one she wanted me to wear in the first place.

I slid on the dress easily, admiring my reflection. It was a plain white color, very elegant. It too had a sweetheart neckline, with a tear drop cut out in the middle, with many encrusted diamonds lining the top. I was afraid those were actually real considering the expensive feel of the boutique itself. The dress fit tight to my nearly none existent curves, making them fuller, and fell in a waterfall to the floor.

"Come on out, Naminé." I heard Ashe call from outside the dressing room.

I gracefully made my way out of the stall and stood, showing the two what I looked like in the final gown. I was surprised to even like the layer of tulle underneath the silky skirt. Beading and diamonds decorated the bottom, emphasizing the ones on the bodice. I felt like more of a princess than a bride, which I was very thankful for. Ashe was so kind.

"It's beautiful, Naminé!" Aqua came over to examine me. Ashe came over too, not saying a word. I anxiously looked into the mirror, waiting for a response.

"This is definitely _the one_. Be sure to come back here when you get married, I'd be happy to fit you." Ashe's eyes looked almost watery. This whole wedding atmosphere that the store gave off was starting to make me feel uncomfortable. Roxas and I weren't like that… Maybe a white dress wasn't the best choice.

"And Roxas will love it." I heard Aqua whisper in my ear.

"Okay, _Kairi_." I smirked at the blue-haired woman. She laughed at my response as Ashe began taking my other dresses.

"Aqua, when she's done bring the dress downstairs. I'll be waiting." And she left without even glancing at me.

"What was that all about? She does know that Roxas and I aren't getting married, right?" I smiled jokingly at Aqua.

"She's like that sometimes. I think because Roxas finally did come home, and with you no less, she just got really emotional. Especially fitting you in a white gown. Just give her some time and she'll be fine by tonight."

"Thanks, Aqua." I smiled before going to take off the dress.

Once I was done and the gown was safely packaged and stowed in the back, the three of us were on our way to lunch. And I'm pretty sure I heard Ashe mention getting our hair and nails done. What was this, Prom?

"Oh, Naminé, you look great." Ashe cooed from behind me. She was finally back to the friendly, mother type she was last night. No more over emotional lines.

It turned out I was only subjected to getting a manicure and pedicure before Ashe had to do some prep work for the Gala. Aqua had just finished curling my hair when Ashe came back home and swept us all upstairs. I was currently sitting in her and Raslar's master bathroom. The upstairs was just as beautiful as the rest of the house and I just gawked in wonder. Even the master bathroom was amazing with the Jacuzzi bathtub and glass shower, double sinks, and separate vanity.

I looked in my reflection to see my white-blonde hair swept to the side in a ponytail over my shoulder. A sparkling barrette held it in place. Aqua had made sure my curls stayed perfectly and my bangs were in just the right place. She even placed a small tiara on top of my head. Now I really was a princess. But I was thankful for it being very small and blending in with my light locks. It too was embedded with diamonds and designs. I had objected at first until she explained it was a tradition. Something about the youngest, newest girls had to wear it and there'd be others. She had to do it last year. The way she explained it, which I still don't understand completely, sounded like it was just a way for important people to come talk to you; kind of like initiation to a secret club.

Aqua was also great at applying just the right amount of smoky eye make-up and super extend mascara on my already long lashes, it reminded me of Kairi. Speaking of her, I'd have to call her tonight since I barely texted her today.

"Thanks." I responded, still looking at myself in the mirror. I hope Roxas approved of me even attending this event since it was too late now. "Is Roxas alright with this?"

"Oh, he's always a bother about going so I wouldn't worry about him. Like I told you before, you're helping him want to go. It's fine." Ashe explained, cleaning up all the make-up and hair accessories. "Anything else you want to know?"

Both Ashe and Aqua had previously filled me in about the proper etiquette of tonight's dinner and ballroom courtesy. I also found out that most of the people attending were 'snobs that lived on the mountain'. There was a development somewhere on the other side of Twilight Town that had all the upper class citizens, where the Country Club was. Ashe said she and Raslar preferred the slow pace living of small town Twilight Town, not wanting their boys to grow up in that environment with the upper class. Too bad Roxas was a snob when we first met. I was still curious about why though, considering what I knew of his past. He just wasn't that close to others back then.

And so I wasn't sure how to answer her question. But then I did start to wonder about this big house. Wouldn't there have been another bedroom? Roxas had one so Ven had to have one. Ashe had mentioned the guestroom was taken so wouldn't there have been Ven's one still? This vexed me indeed.

"Yea, this isn't about the Gala though. Why isn't Aqua and Ven staying in Ven's room?" That probably sounded like the most random question I could've asked. But I was curious.

"Oh, that's an easy answer. Roxas has to sleep on the couch in his room since Ven's room was turned into a craft room. There's only a daybed in there so Ven and Aqua were moved to the guest room. And I would have had either Roxas or you stay in Ven's room, but it's a mess in there and I'm sure you would've wanted to be with someone _familiar_." I ignored the hints she threw into the answer, and just nodded. Of course she still thought Roxas and I were more than what we were…

"Let's not make a big deal out of coming down the stairs… Please." I looked at Aqua, standing at the foot of the stairs. I could hear Roxas and Ven talking down below with their father.

"How about Ashe and I go down and distract our men, alright?" She raised an eyebrow at my worried expression. She looked perfect in her lavender dress. It was strapless and fell in a silky waterfall to her feet. Ashe's dress was a crème color, the straps resting perfectly on her shoulder and the dress fitting her curves in a way only she could pull off.

"Thanks." I smiled, eyes downcast.

"Let's go." Aqua turned to Ashe and I watched as they glided downstairs, one at a time. I could hear the slight gasps from Raslar and his oldest son along with the compliments that flowed after. They're love was almost palpable. I hoped Roxas wouldn't say anything to ruin their moods.

[_Roxas' _**POV**:]

Here I was standing in an extra suit my brother had in my dining room. The stairs were to my left as I stood facing my parents and Ven. The way he looked at Aqua made me feel almost embarrassed. I hoped Naminé was feeling the same way. I was really glad that she came with me; I just forgot that my parents would make her do this.

Personally, I didn't want to go to the Gala. But not for the same reasons I didn't want to go long ago. This year was different and I had to just suck it up. I had to show Naminé that I was ready for everything, like how she helped me to come here in the first place.

I turned to face the stairs once more and glanced in the mirror at the end of the staircase where I could see up them slightly. I looked so uninterested. I had to look happy again, this was what I wanted. I had to consider it as more family bonding time. Then again, today was enough. I'd have to tell Naminé about it later… maybe.

Instead of wallowing in my thoughts, I re-examined my clothes to busy my mind. The suit itself was dark gray and fitted close to my body. I wore a lighter gray vest and a white dress shirt underneath. I suppose that was good since gray matched most everything, I'd look fine with her. I fingered my straight black tie, loosening it, and unbuttoning the very top button in the process.

"Hey." A soft voice echoed in my ears, pulling me back to reality. How I didn't even see her come down the stairs was beyond me. She could've tripped and fallen on me and I wouldn't have noticed.

"H-Hey." I stuttered, trying to hide my embarrassment. I looked down at the petite blonde before me. It was hard to believe this was the same girl I had gone through so much within the past half year. She looked stunning. I thought she was cute before but now she held so much elegance I didn't feel like she deserved any of the crap I put her through. Her white gown looked perfect on her.

Her light giggle and confused look snapped me out of it again. Yea, it was just Naminé, the same girl I loved to tease.

"You look nice." I finally voiced. She smiled back at me.

"Thanks. You too." And now I felt awkward. I focused my gaze on the tiara on her head, remembering the strange tradition.

"Well, let's go, princess."

"What?" Naminé gave me that cute look she always gives me when I say something strange.

"Do you prefer coffee girl?" Her pout caused me to laugh so I began walking towards the door to the garage.

[_Naminé's _**POV**:]

I was once again sitting in the passenger seat of Roxas' car. I kept my eye on the road, thinking about what I should be expecting tonight. I guess we go in and have an overly elaborate dinner and then go into a ballroom and dance? Something like that. But I did hear Aqua mention a lounge where Ven and her hung out in last year.

I also thought back on Roxas calling me 'princess'. I knew that tiara would cause trouble for me. But like he said, it was indeed a one up from 'coffee girl'. I suppose I could survive with that nickname since it would probably just last for tonight.

"Sorry about all this." I turned to see Roxas had begun talking.

"Sorry about what?"

"This whole Gala thing. I had forgotten about it. It wasn't until my dad brought it up today that I even remembered. I didn't think they'd make you go as my date and embarrass you." Date? Well I guess that was what it was called.

"It's fine. Anything to make this week a good one. It's better than being back home and having Jess breathing down your neck all day." I kept the conversation upbeat. "What _did _you guys do today?"

"Umm… nothing important." I sensed the hesitation in his voice and dropped it. I had enough things to worry about; I didn't need to cause more strife for myself.

"So… what about your fancy car?" I said after a few moments of silence. I'm not sure what made me say that, but it _was_ something I was curious about. That and it filled up some time.

I heard Roxas chuckle before answering. "You're really random, you know that?"

"Yes. Now answer." I glanced to see the houses outside slowly disappear into more trees. We were already on the other side of Twilight Town. I assumed we were heading up the 'mountain'.

"It was a gift actually. Not from my parents though. It was this whole big thing with the train business. They wanted me to come back to the area after college and work for them."

"So it was a bribe?" I was still confused since he didn't actually get the car until recently.

"I suppose you could say that. I didn't get it till now because I kept refusing. They got it to me somehow and I couldn't just give it back. So I thought I may as well enjoy it. It's something to my name at least. And you liked it." He glanced at me, smirking.

"I don't remember liking it." I smirked back.

"Whatever you say. Any more completely random questions?"

"Nope." I smiled sweetly, looking out the window again. Well, I was curious about the girl in the pictures still. And then the recent mystery of what he did today. But I suppose I could be a good girl and wait.

I wrapped the white shawl Ashe gave me tighter around my shoulders and settled with looking at the huge houses now decorating the scenery. It was dark now so the sparkling lights and the snow made it look angelic. My worries were slowly slipping away as I sat with Roxas.

But of course my stomach had to make an extremely unattractive growl in hunger and Roxas had to tease me. I really hope this rich people food will be good. Kairi's taste was always a little strange. Speaking of her, I _really_ needed to call her now. It's been an entire day and she's probably a wreck.

"Princess." Roxas said as he opened the car door for me. I hadn't even noticed we ceased driving. That was nice of him, but I figured the reason was his mother's watchful gaze from across the parking lot.

"Roxas." I took his arm and he led me towards the giant building in front of me.

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Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any other copyrighted thing I mentioned... I can't remember what that would be, but I do not own it :(

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This took long enough, didn't it? Well my co-author (**GoldenSnitch07**) was busy these past few weeks! I didn't want to bother her during this lovely summer, so I added it anyways. I wrote this chapter and edited it and now it's here! Since this chapter wasn't edited by my co-author or anyone so it sucks. So sorry! At least it's here, right? I hope so...

This chapter has a lot of plot stuff in it actually. And the whole wedding boutique was inspired by my recent obsession with 'Say Yes to the Dress'. And Ashe's emotional personality will be blamed on her age since I have no good excuse. I feel as if this jumbled chapter deserves more explanation, but I can't think of anything good without giving things away. We'll all just pretend it was edited properly. But I still hope you enjoyed it. And once again, if you're confused and have any questions, feel free to ask in a review! :)

This week's shout-out goes to both **Nicrafetix** AND **Hearts in the Twilight**! Yea, I did it, a double shout-out. But both of those reviews were so nice! And I want to make sure I shout-out to as many reviewers as possible and to not repeat myself and to not repeat myself. (That wasn't even funny, but I did it anyways). And I feel horrible to ask after being such a author that doesn't even update her most popular story, but it'd be nice to get a meaningful review that I can shout-out to next chapter! [Hey, I used that same line at the end of chapter 19! What gives? Oh well, so is the next part.] :)

This is my last note, can you all check out my other stories if you get a chance or are bored? I once again feel rude to ask, but the worst that can happen is that you don't, right? Well I just think some of my more recent oneshots need some love (such as _Crawl_ and _Practice Makes Perfect_... yes, still). So thanks! :)

Now this is my last note. For serious. Anyone else notice today isn't Wednesday? Just checking. This means you didn't have to wait yet another week due to my laziness. So go you guys, for getting me off my lazy butt and updating!

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_Please review. No flames please :)_


	22. December 24th Evening

_B a r e l y _**Legal**

I would have to say that this was the most impressive country club I have ever seen. It was even better than the ones on the Islands. The building was a few stories tall, all white stucco with white trim, and had a very Victorian style. I was impressed by all the landscaping work they did, even in the snow it was beautiful.

"I remember this place much bigger." I heard Roxas joke beside me.

"I can't believe you complained about coming here."

"I was a kid, Naminé. Of course I complained."

We walked into the building with the rest of his family and I was even more impressed. The room was very large and elegantly decorated. It was all a neutral crème color and was dotted with many works of art as well of portraits of people unknown to me. Two giant staircases went along the back wall, leading up to a door up above. I could tell this was an old building that wasn't always a country club. It seemed to just be a giant mansion with a golf course in the backyard.

"We're eating up there." Roxas pointed towards the door. "The ballroom's through there," he gestured to the door at the foot of the stairs, directly beneath the other door. "And the lounge is in there." I took note of the door to my left.

It didn't take long for my shawl to be taken away to a coat room and to be ushered up the stairs with Roxas. I worked on autopilot through all the chaos. I knew there was a welcome from a rich looking couple and Raslar was announced along with a few others. But other than an order to go find our seats, I have no idea what happened.

The grand door was opened and a long room, housing an extravagant fireplace and giant Christmas tree, was revealed. I glanced past all the fancy china, silverware, and glasses to see nameplates sitting on the pure white cloth napkins. I didn't recognize any of the names until I came to Raslar and Ashe's seats near the head of the table, close to the door.

"This place is kind of backwards. The more important people are close the door as opposed the far wall." Roxas tried to inform me with a smart sounding voice. I had to hold in my giggle as I became the target of many people's wondering eyes.

We continued walking down the left side of the table and I saw Ven and Aqua's seats. "Where are we sitting?" I asked as we kept on walking.

"My mom said she had to add our places in last minute." That must have been what she was doing when I was getting ready back at the house. "We're probably near the back."

And of course Roxas was correct. We were near the end of the table, only one couple between us and the end. I watched as other men pulled the seats out for their dates, Roxas being the only one to ignore that unvoiced rule. But I suppose I shouldn't expect too much kindness from the guy and took my seat next to him in silence.

"Now that we are all gathered and sitting, I can make my proper speech." The man from earlier, sitting at the head of the table, began speaking. I tried to listen, really I did, but I ended up spacing out and looking at the other guests.

I didn't recognize anyone but I did catch a petite looking girl with white-ish purple hair glaring at me with unnatural red eyes. I wonder what her problem was. She was sitting further up with who I assumed were her parents though she looked about my age, maybe slightly younger. She gave me that look for a second longer than most people before looking towards the man talking, crossing her arms. Next to her was a very muscular young man, probably my age, with short brown hair. He was staring intently at the man speaking, but he still gave off a scary vibe.

Further down the table I spotted a familiar face. I thought _last_ time I saw him was my last. Turns out the world really did hate me and here he was. I was thankful he wasn't paying attention and texting under the table. It looked like he was sitting next to his father, a girl his age hanging on his arm. She had bleached blonde hair, orange-tan skin, and bright green eyes. Her make-up was a little too much for my taste and her hot pink dress wasn't only a complete stand out, but it was also very revealing. Maybe this meant he wasn't interested in harassing me anymore.

And with the sight of Seifer I looked straight to Roxas. He was looking in the same direction I was previously, ice in his eyes. I guess our previous run-ins with him didn't help his opinion on the guy. From what I gathered, they knew each other in high school, which is probably why I was bound to see him here in Twilight Town. I guess his father had some importance with the train company.

"Roxas." I whispered as quietly as I could, trying to get his attention.

He glanced at me, eyebrow raised in question.

I didn't say anything in response and looked to see the man was finishing his speech. As soon as he was done, employees began bustling in and out of the door, serving everyone a very unique dish. I'm not sure what it was but it looked pretty good to me.

"Roxas." I said again once there was food on our plates and people were talking all around us.

"Yes?" I expected our dinner time chatter to consist of how random this whole thing was and how we both wanted to go back to his house. I also expected to be sitting near his family, but now this felt like a really awkward date without actually being on a date. But at least we had a topic: Seifer.

"What do we do? It looks like he has a girlfriend." I said, thinking maybe we could go a night without confrontation.

"You think they're dating? You should know better, Nam. She's just here because he needed a date and someone to bang." Roxas said bluntly. "And I know how us pretending to date kept him at bay, but my family is here. He just wants to tick me off, you know that?"

"Huh?" I thought he was just a hungry pig. He did seem to hate Roxas though.

"Let's just say he hates my guts and wants to see me as unhappy as possible. I think he just went after you the first time because you were pretty," I blushed slightly at that comment, "but now that he saw me trying to defend you he targeted you. It's too much drama, if you ask me." He chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.

"So we pretend to date for show and when we see your family we cut it out?" I tried to make sense of everything he just told me.

"Sounds good to me. Well, Ven knows, so it's just my parents we don't want to confuse." This was turning into more of a night then I expected. "I'm sorry about all of this."

"You need to stop apologizing for these things. I was a volunteer so it's as much of my fault as it is yours. Well not quite a volunteer, but you know what I mean. _I_ was the one who got Seifer to start bothering you again." I tripped over my words, trying to explain to him how I felt.

"Let's just eat, okay, princess?" Roxas used my recent nickname and picked up a fork, smirking.

"Alright, Roxas." I murmured, doing the same.

Let's just say that was the best food I have eaten for a long time. I didn't even mind when Roxas moved my chair closer to his with one hand. He just needs to ask first, especially since I was trying to drink.

"Finally dessert and we can sneak off to the lounge. Ven and Aqua will keep us company." Roxas sighed as a final plate was set before us. I now understood how people could eat so many courses; there was about a bite worth of food per plate. The dessert was no different.

"Is this cheesecake?" I poked the chocolate mousse with my fork. It looked like vanilla cheesecake with a layer of chocolate mousse on top, coated with a slight drizzle of chocolate for show.

"Don't forget the strawberry." Roxas responded, drawing my attention to the single, plump strawberry resting against the tiny cake.

"Actually, Roxas, I think it was worth coming here." I smiled, taking a bite of the delicious treat.

"Let us all join in the ballroom below. Be sure to make acquaintance to our special guests." The man from before finished what I hoped to be his final speech. This was definitely not what I was expecting, the speeches and layout and such. Oh and the tiara, that was random enough.

"Am I a special guest?" I asked Roxas as we were heading downstairs.

"Yes. I don't think anyone will bother you though. They shouldn't." I felt Roxas' arm wrap around my waist and I glanced to see Seifer descending the opposite staircase with his date. "Just an hour. One hour will satisfy my parents and then we're leaving." Roxas' grip tightened, allowing me to lean into his arm.

It's been so long since I've dated, it's like I'm almost using Roxas at times like this. I know he's just trying to protect me (in a way) but this is getting insane. We're in our twenties; we don't need high school level drama bothering us every time we're together. Not that we're together or anything… He's just so cute. '_Shut up, Naminé. You're doing it again_.'

We made it to the ballroom without confrontation and met up with his family near the entrance inside. The ballroom was equally as elegant as the rest of the building. It was huge, pillars along the edge of the circular room, many doors lining the walls, and a giant wall of glass looking over the snow covered golf course. The holly and lights made it almost something from a movie.

"Roxas, be nice to Naminé. We'll see you later." Ashe said to Roxas, patting his shoulder.

"I will. Have fun." Roxas smirked, mirroring his mother, as she walked off with his father.

"Well, let's dance." Ven's singsong voice lightened the mood. He pulled Aqua close to him and the two began laughing.

I laughed as I watched them slowly disappear into the crowd.

"There goes hiding in the lounge." Roxas stuffed his hands in his pockets, glancing at me.

"Well let's just enjoy ourselves. I don't think we'll be running into any problems." I nodded my head towards the door. There Seifer was with his tongue basically shoved down his date's throat as they hurried out of the room and probably to a closet. How disgusting, I literally wanted to vomit right there.

"Guess you're right." He smiled slightly and held out his hand. "I won't dance for long." He promised.

I smiled, taking his hand, and followed him into the sea of dresses and suits.

Once we were near the middle he stopped and pulled me into him. One hand went to my waist, keeping me close, the other taking my smaller hand in his. My opposite hand rested on the soft material of his jacket. I followed in his steps as we swayed along with the rest of the people.

"This isn't too bad." I admitted, observing all the other dancers.

"You really do look like a princess."

"What?" My eyes snapped up to lock with his familiar light blue ones.

"Nothing." Did my ears deceive me? Did he just compliment again? He's so weird. But I couldn't help but smile to myself.

After that little slip, he wrapped both of his arms around my waist, as mine rested around his neck. I pressed my face to rest comfortably on his shoulder, enjoying the warmth. What was happening to me? I was being way too mushy with my friend. My friend, my friend, a best friend… I hoped repeating it would keep my thoughts on that track.

"Roxas—" I started, my mouth barely tickling his neck. This wasn't right. I wasn't comfortable. Or maybe I was just confused. This whole situation was weird for me; I really needed Kairi's advice.

"Excuse me, may I cut in?" I turned to see the man that was announcing before standing before us. His wife was smiling at his side. They were the only ones to 'make acquaintance' with me.

"Uh, s-sure." Roxas stuttered, as surprised as I was. We broke apart and I went with the man and he took his wife's hand awkwardly. Our eyes stayed connected, though we were separated, as we talked to different people; his expression was unreadable.

My guess was that it had been a half hour later when I was reunited with Roxas. Many other people I didn't know danced with me (though Raslar and Ven were in there somewhere) and I was happy to see a familiar face again.

"There you are." I said, approaching him.

"Was that annoying for you too?" He asked, leading me towards the door. "Enough socializing, princess. Time to relax." I realized we were on our way towards the longue. Ven had mentioned he was heading over here after our dance.

"Finally." I sighed, linking our arms.

We entered the longue as inconspicuously as possible. This room had a golden and dark red theme, I loved it. It felt really cozy. Ven and Aqua were occupying a chaise in the corner and waved us over.

Roxas and I took a seat on the chaise opposite them, exhaling a deep breath at the same time.

"Rough night already?" Ven asked.

"Boring." Roxas answered. Boring wasn't really I word I would describe, but I suppose it could fit just this once. I wasn't about to explain all the useless drama Roxas filled me in on. They probably already knew anyways.

"That's sad. We were just going to relax here a little longer before heading back, if that's fine with you. Mom and dad will probably stay late." He continued talking to Roxas. They were just going to ride back with us instead of waiting up for Ashe and Raslar.

"True. Nam and I were going to do the same." He glanced at me after responding. I'm sure I looked ridiculously happy. The thought of sleep just sounded nice right now was all.

Time passed quickly as the four of us chatted in the corner. I watched as many other exhausted young couples came in and out of the room. All the gowns and tuxes were all overdone and I was once again swept up by how unreal these past few days were.

That was until I saw the red-eyed girl from earlier enter. She seemed to glide over to the opposite corner, stealing glances my way all the while. The muscular young man came in soon after and joined her. They were acting shady and talking in hushed voice when Aqua began talking to me again.

"As I was saying, I'm looking forward to tomorrow. Ven says his whole family comes over for Christmas and it's a really fun time with everyone—" My thoughts cut her off as I was reminded tomorrow was indeed Christmas. Thoughts of Roxas' generic gift ran through my mind. His laughter filled my ears and I remembered all the stories he had told me about his family during Christmas time.

This meant I would probably be getting up early to prepare food and staying up late again visiting with his family. If it was possible, I was even more tired in a matter of seconds.

"Roxas?" A new voice entered our small group. I looked up to see a young man with dirty blonde hair staring down at us. His tone felt reserved as if he was trying his hardest not to saying something rude. His tux was black, an olive green tie hanging loosely around his neck. "Pence, come here, it's Roxas." He shouted over his shoulder and another young man appeared at his side. He was slightly chubbier than the blonde man, also shorter. His hair was dark brown and spiked straight up; his black tux was accented by a red tie and had a camera like Roxas' around his neck.

There was a pause before Roxas stood and began to speak. "Hey guys." He said, scratching the back of his head.

"It's been a while." The blonde boy crossed his arms. I could tell his forced polite appearance was slowly slipping away. "Who's this?" He gestured to me. I just noticed that Ven and Aqua we no longer near us, but now in the middle of the room talking to another couple.

I stood up, slightly behind Roxas by habit. "This is Naminé. My… date." He sounded unsure what to introduce me as. I assumed we were to keep up the façade of us dating and reacted with a smile and an outstretched hand.

"Nice to meet you." I said mechanically as I shook the hand of the one I now knew as Pence. The blonde boy didn't accept my greeting.

"Nam, this is Pence," he smiled at me, "and Hayner, old friends of mine." Once again the blonde boy remained unresponsive.

"Hayner, be nice." Pence nudged him.

"Hey." Hayner muttered to me before returning his gaze to Roxas. "I didn't think you were coming back after what happened."

"I finally decided it was time to stop ignoring it. Ven and I went to see her today." See who? Is that the mysterious business they were doing with their father today? I tried to not assume things and didn't question it. It wasn't time. Roxas would explain to me if he wanted.

There was silence again before Roxas started talking again. "Nam's the reason I'm even here." He smiled, trying to start conversation again.

"Thanks, Naminé. It's been a long time since we've seen Roxas." Pence responded with a smile.

This was getting awkward fast. And I thought we were about to leave…

"Do you still blame me?" Roxas said quietly. I guess this had to do with what Hayner was just talking about.

Silence again. "Yes. I do." I noticed Ven watching us out of the corner of my eye.

"I guess things never change. Maybe we should get together this weekend. We'll be here till the 30th."

Seeing that nothing was happening I decided to speak up. "Roxas, it's getting late." I tugged on his sleeve like a child.

"We should get going. It was nice seeing you again." Roxas said mostly to Pence since Hayner was looking off to the side.

"Likewise. You have the same number, right? I'll call you this weekend." Pence said in a friendly tone.

"See ya." Roxas' arm wrapped around me as we went to retrieve Ven and Aqua before leaving the longue. I took note that the red-eyed girl and muscular boy were gone from their spot in the corner.

"Sorry about that." Roxas sighed as we were getting our coats. Ven and Aqua were already in the parking lot, heading towards Roxas' car. I ignored his millionth apology and said nothing about it.

"Thanks." I muttered as he assisted me with my shawl.

We were finally back outside in the cold winter air when I saw four figures standing ominously beside Roxas' car. Ven and Aqua were nowhere in sight, though I _thought_ I had just seen them walk out. I wondered if this had to do with Hayner and Pence.

I was immediately proved wrong as we approached and the vague figures turned into the red-eyed girl, the muscular man, Seifer and his Barbie doll date.

"What do you want?" Roxas asked, exasperated. He was tired of this and so was I.

"What do you think, _chickenwuss_? We have unfinished business to take care of." His eye traveled to me and I pulled my shawl closer to me. Roxas' grip on my shoulders moved to my waist, keeping me close. He wasn't going to let what happened on Halloween happen again. It was all the same minus Roxas' friends back in the city. And this time Hayner had back up, just as he promised. "Go wait in the car." He muttered to his date, who sloppily kissed his cheek and left with a hiccup. "I'm done with this shit and as soon as she gets _messed_ up, we're leaving." I censored his vulgar words in my head.

So I guess he was done trying to get in my pants? I hope so. We can easily back out of this just like last time. Hopefully he's just all talk. Then again, those other two did look serious.

"Fuu, Rai, are you ever going to be done following his around?" Roxas looked towards Seifer's friends.

"Not till you pay for what you did to him." Rai muttered through clenched teeth.

So many things were being accused it was hard to keep up. But it was clear now that Roxas and Seifer had some kind of altercations in high school and like the typical bullies these three were, they were just going to follow through.

"Revenge." Fuu said in a monotone voice. Roxas was right. Too much drama.

"Looks like your _best friends_ aren't going to help you now. They're probably made at you too. Actually, I _know_ they are. That punk always needed an attitude adjustment." I knew Seifer was referencing Hayner as the punk. That reminded me, how did they tie into this? And the she that Roxas mentioned, did she have to do with it too? I was so confused.

"Leave them out of it. They didn't have anything to do with what happened. And neither did Naminé. Just let us go." Roxas' voice was firm, but Seifer didn't move aside.

"Like hell I will." Seifer fist already collided with Roxas' jaw before I could even blink. "She was going to be the only victim here but now you really pissed me off." I looked to see a bruise already forming on Roxas' face. I didn't know what to do. This was actually going to be a fight.

Roxas' shoved me behind him and I watched the scene unfold from over his shoulder.

"Hey!" Hayner's voice rang out, but I couldn't see him. I thought he was still inside. "What the hell, Seifer?" He appeared next to Roxas. Pence followed soon after.

"Look who it is. Memories are flooding back, aren't they?" Seifer glared at Roxas with a sadistic smile on his face. "My bet's on you not being able to protect your little whore." He pointed at me, but Roxas didn't retort on his insult. It was as if something was stopping him from speaking, like he was remembering whatever Seifer was referencing.

"Don't call her that." Hayner was the one to come to my defense, much to my surprise. "Seriously, Seifer, can't you just drop that? Roxas did. And… I did." Roxas looked surprised at Hayner's words. Now I felt as if I was putting together a puzzle and there was one very important piece missing. I searched my memory and the only thing that came to mind was 'her'. Maybe it was the same she that he saw today and that Hayner mentioned. While lost in my thoughts, I remembered Roxas' quietness about his past when we first began talking. And how I figured it was because he was homesick. But maybe it had to do with whatever happened years ago… I really needed to know who this 'she' was.

"How can you just get over what you did, Roxas? It's never going to go away." Seifer spat at Roxas.

"I don't want to fight. This isn't high school anymore. Things have changed." Roxas glanced at me, as if making sure I was still behind him.

In an instant I saw Seifer throw another punch at Roxas. This time it was in the gut and he backed up into me. In another instant I saw all the others spring into action. Even Fuu was attacking Roxas and his friends. I stood helpless, trying to figure out what to do. I knew Seifer was set on _messing_ me up, so I probably didn't have much time.

Where was Ven and Aqua?

I ended up watching in horror as Roxas, Hayner, and Pence were brutally attacked. It was as if Seifer was planning this for a long time. Roxas was punched again by Seifer and he fell to his knees this time since I wasn't behind him to keep him upright. My hands covered my mouth as I watched Seifer kick him in the ribs. Thankfully I didn't hear any crunch and Roxas just fell over holding his side, teeth clenched.

Roxas was in pain and I couldn't do anything about it. Was it my fault? Of course it was.

"Now it's your turn." Seifer turned to me and my eyes widened in fear. His breathing was ragged and he was sporting a black eye thanks to Roxas.

"What's going on here?" I looked up to see the man that was announcing earlier standing before us with his wife. Ven and Aqua were right behind them. So that's where they were. I assumed they saw Seifer and went to get someone of authority. Though I wasn't sure why them. "Seifer, what are you doing?"

I took this opportunity to kneel beside Roxas, whom was now in a sitting position. He muttered something and I helped him up, allowing him to lean on me.

"Is this about—"

"Uh, let's wait in the car, Naminé." Aqua interrupted and guided me back to Roxas' car. I bet I was about to figure out what was going on. Why did Aqua interrupt him? Did she know what had happened? "It should be sorted out now. You don't have to worry about Seifer anymore."

"How do you know? And why'd we have to go?" We were now seated in the back seat of Roxas' car, facing away from the others. Aqua placed a hand on my shoulder. I hadn't realized I'd been shaking.

"Roxas will tell you, Naminé. It's not anyone else's place. The only reason I know is because Ven told me." Was she really just voicing what I had been thinking all along? That Roxas had to tell me?

"…" I opened my mouth, closing it before any words came out.

"You need to rest up for tomorrow. We all do."

Aqua left me alone in the car as I waited. I was so confused. I'm not sure how I manage to get myself into these situations, but I should really stop.

The noise of the car door opening and slamming brought me back to reality. I looked over to see Roxas had joined me in the back seat. His suit was all dirty now and I could see a small cut above his eye. The bruise from before was now a deep purple.

"I'm really sorry, Naminé. Maybe I should just bring you home." Roxas said, looking straight ahead. He never called me by my name, so I knew he was serious.

"Roxas." I said, placing my hand on his. He looked at me with a solemn expression.

"Let's get home and clean up before mom and dad get back." Ven's voice filled the air as he and Aqua got into the car. No one said anything as Ven drove. Roxas stared at the passing scenery and I kept my gaze on his face. My small hand was still wrapped in his.

When we got back to the house, Ven and Aqua disappeared upstairs and I followed Roxas to his room. I was planning on changing immediately and falling fast asleep. Kairi will have to wait for an update of tonight's events.

"I'm gonna shower so feel free to do whatever." Roxas muttered. I just nodded and watched him leave the room.

I turned my attention to my suitcase and pulled out pink and white pinstripe pajama pants and a white t-shirt. I wasted no time in carefully taking off the now dirty white dress. I wasn't sure how I was going to explain the dirt all along the bottom, but I wasn't going to bother thinking about it now. And so I hung the dress on its hanger and set it on the bench at the end of Roxas' bed.

I crawled into bed and wrapped the covers tightly around me, trying to forget all the mayhem that ensued tonight. Would Seifer really stop now just because some rich couple told him to? I couldn't help but believe Aqua, but I still needed an explanation from Roxas. But maybe tonight wasn't the best. He can explain everything he wants tomorrow when he's rested. I'm determined to find out everything.

When I first met Roxas I thought he was a conceded jerk. He's still a jerk, but now I understand him. I had no idea he could have all these mysteries hidden in his past, but I suppose everyone had those things that make them want to start fresh. I mean, Roxas barely knew anything about _my_ past. Every time I'd try to tell him about my high school life, he'd change the subject. And since I was a headstrong bookworm in college, I had no good stories. Maybe someday we would fully understand each other.

"Nam, you awake?" I heard a soft whisper. I probably looked asleep since the lights were off and I was just laying, lost in my thoughts.

"Yeah." I mumbled in response. I felt the bed depress and could now hear Roxas' breath in front of me.

"Are you okay?" His voice remained hushed, as if he were afraid to scare me.

"I should be asking you that." I reached ahead of me until my hand was resting on the side of his face. I could see him fairly well from the light from the window. I'm sure he could see me too. I traced his cheek bone before touching the area around his eye where his freshly bandaged cut was. I'll blame my out of character behavior on my exhaustion.

"I'm fine." His eyes closed and for a second I thought he had fallen asleep already. "We won't have to worry about Seifer anymore."

"That's what Aqua told me… I don't get it. Who were those people?" I couldn't help but ask. I really had to know.

"You really want to know? My past wasn't all the happy stuff I told you before." I figured there was more since he never talked about his high school life either. He'd either tell me about his childhood or all his drinking stories from college (with Axel, of course).

"I really _need_ to know, Roxas." I moved my hand from his face and back to my side.

"Those people are Mr. and Mrs. Konishi. They're basically the heads of the train company. They run everything." That would explain his speeches and authority. "They're daughter was…" He paused. I couldn't tell why he stopped though.

"Go on." I tried to sound as calm as possible.

"She's—" A sudden knock at the door interrupted Roxas.

"Roxas? Naminé? Can I come in?" It was Ashe.

"Sure, mom." Roxas responded. "I'll tell you later." He whispered to me before speeding over to his couch. I sat up to see Ashe standing in the doorway, still wearing her gown.

"I hope you kids had a good time. I only heard good things about you, Naminé." So I guess she didn't hear about Seifer. That's probably a good thing. "Aqua did tell me that you tripped in the parking lot, though. Don't worry about the dress." And I guess she'll never find out. "I know you're both tired, but try to get up in time to get ready and help out before the family comes."

"No problem, mom. Night."

"Good night." I echoed Roxas.

"Sweet dreams, dears." I watched as Ashe went over to hug Roxas before leaving the room. I'm sure she was congratulating him on not being bored out of his mind.

Instead of immediately starting conversation again, I decided to sleep. I'll need my rest tomorrow and Roxas already decided he'd tell me. There's nothing to worry about. I'll just have to wait.

I just hope the rest of Roxas' family is as sweet as his parents.

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Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts. Sorry, guys :(

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Sorry this chapter took forever to be added. Really, I am. I've just been so busy with school and cheerleading and powderpuff and blah blah blah. But this chapter is super long, so I hope that helps. Unfortunately, my co-author (**GoldenSnitch07**) was unavailable to edit, so you'll have to excuse the awkwardness of the chapter. I'm not too great with wording nowadays.

This story is almost finished! But there's still MUCH more to go at the same time... I can't exactly remember what's even in this chapter, so feel free to ask questions in the reviews. I'm sure it's confusing as hell. That's just the way Roku and Nam roll. I also apologize how cliché the fighting is. I just needed a reason to get rid of Seifer forever. So that whole scene may be overlooked (just not too much). I allow you to just ignore it.

This chapter dedication goes to EVERYONE THAT'S STILL READING THIS STORY. You guys are all pretty much awesome and I'm very grateful to those that have stuck around. :)

Also, anyone care to explain why fanfiction's all firetruck'd up? It seems like everything you click on is an information error.

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_Please review. No flames please :)_


	23. December 25th

_B a r e l y _**Legal**

_Thud. _"Son of a bitch."

I woke up to the sound of Roxas swearing and slowly opened my eyes to see him pacing around the room. He was wearing his dark gray pajama shorts; his t-shirt not currently on his body. I couldn't help but blush at the sight of his half naked form. Well, it wasn't my fault he was beautifully sculpted.

"What's wrong?" I sat up, occupying myself with stretching and not making eye contact.

"I forgot about this bruise. I have a feeling it's gonna be sore all day." He pointed at his stomach. I just now noticed a huge purple bruise disgracing his tanned skin. I guess he wasn't too worried about the black eye and cut on his face. "The eye thing is covered. Ven told mom he wasn't paying attention and he hit me with the car door. Apparently I was standing in front of it." He winked his good eye. But he was back to basically reading my thoughts. "But she's bound to notice me flinching every time somebody tries to hug me today."

"Umm…" I rolled out of bed, landing gracefully on my feet. I walked over to him and began circling him, finger tapping my chin. I paused in front of him and gently touched his bruise. I noticed him flinch and took my hand away. "Just say you're sick and don't want to spread germs."

He smirked at my response. "I think I'm rubbing off on you."

"Whatever do you mean?" I innocently batted my eyes.

A knock at the door interrupted further conversation.

The door opened to expose Ashe standing there, still in her pajamas and hair pulled back in a ponytail. I stood in front of Roxas to hide his bruise from her sight.

"Morning, you two. I hoped you wouldn't forget its Christmas. We have some traditions to handle before we start cooking." The sad thing was, I think I _had_ forgotten it was Christmas. I know I thought about Roxas' lame present a little in the car last night with Aqua, but nothing after that. And now I felt bad because I didn't get his family anything after all they did for me.

"Alright, mom, we'll be right out." She nodded before closing the door once more.

"Don't worry about not bringing presents. I didn't either and I'm their son. Well, I have a few days yet to buy something great for them, even if it will be late." He pulled his shirt back on and started towards the door. He paused before turning to see I was still frowning. I hadn't realized I let my self-disgust show. "Come on, Naminé. It's fine." He grabbed my wrist and basically dragged me out to the living room.

Walking into the living room, my eyes were immediately drawn to the left side of the room where an elaborately decorated Christmas tree was and a pile of gifts sat underneath. I felt like a little kid again.

I noticed Ven and Aqua leaning against the wall together and Ashe sitting on the couch. Roxas' dad was sitting in his usual recliner that was now turned to face the tree. I still couldn't bring myself to call him Raslar; even in my head it's awkward.

Roxas sat down so his back was leaning against the end of the couch and gestured for me to sit. There wasn't much space, but I managed to take a seat next to him, my legs resting on his lap comfortably and his arm supporting my back. I guess we really did give off that couple vibe sometime. But I wasn't about to make a scene and move. Besides, he was warm and I wasn't hurting his bruise further by doing so.

"This feels so nice, don't you think, Raslar? Having the boys home again."

I didn't catch his response, but I there was a trace of a smile on his face.

"Now we should hurry so I can get ready and have everything done before guests start arriving." Ashe continued. "Ven, start handing out presents."

A sinking feeling came to my stomach as I watched Ven hand gifts to all the others in the room. I felt so empty handed. Probably because I was.

"I have something for you." I muttered to Roxas before hurrying off to his room. I don't think the others noticed my departure.

Once in Roxas' room, I began searching my bag for the tiny box holding his gift card. In the process I caught a glimpse of Kairi's gift for me. I wanted to open it, but I guess I should wait till tonight. I wouldn't want to interrupt her vacation with a call anyways.

I gave one last sigh before returning to Roxas' side with the small green and red box. "I'm sorry it isn't nearly as much as I should've gotten you. But I guess you've been rotten to me in the past." I teased, handing him the gift.

"As long as it's not coal, I think I'll be fine." I smiled, watching him peel off the paper. It was like everyone in the room was in their own little world. Roxas' parents didn't even notice anyone else as they unwrapped their own gifts. Even Ven and Aqua were preoccupied with themselves.

"Thanks." I looked back to see Roxas smirking at me.

"Shut up." I pushed his shoulder back causing the both of us to laugh for no reason. This felt nice.

"So you don't feel bad I didn't get you anything?"

"I guess not since my gift sucked." I laughed again. But I kind of expected something from the guy that made me come here. I have to consult Kairi about this.

"Here you go, honey. Sorry it was a last minute shopping trip. And don't feel bad about not getting anything for us. Knowing Roxas it was probably last minute for you too."

I looked up to see Ashe smiling at me, white gift bag in hand. The presentation was flawless; sparkles clustered in snowflake shapes on the white surface, silver lines and swirls decorated the sides, and white tissue paper billowed over the top.

"Thanks so much." I smiled back at Ashe and Raslar. I will have to pay for half of whatever Roxas is getting his parents. I'd feel bad taking all this and not giving anything back.

I maneuvered myself so I was sitting crossed-legged between Roxas' legs and leaned against his chest. I guess I wasn't irritating his bruise like this. Roxas' arms reached around my sides and held onto the bag while I pulled out the tightly packed tissue paper. His head rested on my shoulder and I could feel his soft spikes tickling my ear.

Once all the tissue paper was out of the way, I peered into the bag to see a piece of white material. I pulled it out, standing in the process, to examine the white cloth.

"It's from the store. I couldn't help but admire how that white dress fit you last night, so I figured you should have your own. Even if it is a nightie." I wasn't sure how to react getting pajamas from Roxas' parents, but I couldn't help but be impressed. This had to be the most expensive looking night gown I have ever seen before. At least it wasn't see-through or else I'd be concerned.

I'm pretty sure I blushed at the compliment because my face was heating up. "Thank you." I said as genuinely as possible. I probably couldn't thank her enough for her kindness. I wasn't even dating Roxas and she was doing this. I could only imagine what his future girlfriend will receive, though I don't really want to imagine that.

The spaghetti strapped nightgown was skin tight at the top, milky white, and billowed out into multiple sheer layers that ballooned in at the bottom. The material was the softest silk I have ever felt, and that said a lot since Kairi was a fan of silk pajamas as well. This had to be ridiculously expensive.

I leaned forward and hugged Ashe. "You're welcome, dear." I noticed Aqua holding a new pair of suede boots still sitting next to Ven. I assumed that was her gift from Ashe and Raslar and they looked even more expensive than my night gown.

The tree time ended up only taking about an hour and I was shooed out of the room to shower and get ready for the day. Roxas of course joked about the reason I got a 'sexy' night gown was because his mom wanted grandkids. I don't think my blush made him realize that would include him as well.

I looked myself over in the mirror once I was done getting dressed. I had to make sure I looked perfect; I wanted to give a good impression to Roxas' family. Why was I so obsessed with this again? I was just his friend that came home with him for Christmas.

I was wearing a simple navy dress that went down to my mid-thigh with a sweetheart neckline. Over that was a gray, classic cardigan and on my feet were black UGGS. The dress and cardigan were from American Eagle. I also accessorized with chunky white bracelets and a pearl necklace. It was no Kairi outfit, but I liked it. My hair was straightened and as usual, the ends flipped inward, framing my face.

"No shoes in the house." I turned to see a shirtless Roxas standing in the door.

"I guess shirts aren't allowed either." I kicked off my boots before Ashe saw me.

"I _was_ going to compliment your dress, but now I'm not. You look shitty."

"Thanks, Roxas." I pushed past him to put my boots back in his room and to apply some much needed lotion.

He ended up following me. "Sorry. Anyways, mom says she needs as much help as she can. She's probably in the kitchen so get to work."

"If you're telling _me_ to get to the kitchen I can only imagine what you told Kairi..."

"If was more like the bedroom with her actually. She wasn't the cooking type." Gross. I gave him a disgusted look. "What? You brought it up." Sometimes I wish we weren't such _good_ friends.

"Just put some clothes on. It's like you _want_ your mom to see your bruise." I pushed past him, ignoring his annoyingly typical smirk, and headed towards the kitchen. I could already see that Ashe was hard at work flipping the homemade raviolis. When she made them I had no idea.

"Hello, dear. Thanks for coming to help me. Aqua's taking a shower and she'll be down to suffer as well." Ashe ran around the kitchen, getting things in and out of the cupboards as she talked. "Ven and Raslar set the table, so their hard work is done for the day." I noticed her eyes rolling at the statement. "And I had Roxas put away all the gifts and straighten up the living room. He was being such a baby about sweeping and last minute dusting though. I mean he only has a black eye from the car door…" She muttered the last part and I pretended not to hear. But I was glad to know Roxas was helping out too. I guess all the bending put stress on his bruise.

"Family should be arriving soon, honey!" Ashe's voice trailed up the stairs to alert her husband. I was currently enjoying being off my feet and snuggled in the corner of the chair-and-a-half in the living room. It took a couple of hours, but everything was ready and it was almost one in the afternoon. I learned that the Nabradia family Christmas consisted of a late lunch, lots of visiting, and a late dinner for those that stayed.

"Hey." I looked up from the arm of the chair to see Roxas take a seat on the couch. He was wearing dark blue jeans and a navy sweater with a white t-shirt underneath from American Eagle. His spiky hair was looking extra golden in the warm lighting and I could smell his addicting Polo Ralph Lauren Black cologne from where I was. I was also glad I was at the point that I wouldn't internally yell at myself for admitting how attractive my best friend was. This week got us to that comfortable stage where you can do anything and not think too much into it. Well, except for Christmas Eve, but that's over and done with.

"You look nice."

"Thanks." Our eyes locked and I couldn't help but smile.

"Wow, couple much?" I looked up to see Aqua join us in the living room. I gave her a confused look, hopefully screaming '_are you insane? I mean really_.' "I meant the clothes." She continued as if it were obvious. Well I guess we did match, didn't we?

"You look nice too." Roxas spoke up. Aqua was wearing white skinny jeans, a mint colored cami, and a dark forest green cardigan over it.

"Thanks, Roxas dear." She laughed, taking a seat beside him. Ven soon appeared and took the seat on the far end of the couch, allowing Aqua to lean on him comfortably. He was wearing rinse blue jeans, a white t-shirt, and a dark green plaid shirt over it. I couldn't help myself but comment on how they matched _too_.

I was still relaxing on the couch when I heard the front door swing open and greetings from Ashe. Ven and Aqua immediately headed towards the kitchen. Roxas hung back, listening to the joyous voices. He looked troubled.

"Hey, you'll be fine." I broke the silence, standing and placing a hand on his shoulder. His only response was a nod and he started towards the kitchen as well. My hand hovered in the air for a few moments before I let it drop.

"You coming?" I looked up to see Roxas had turned and was now nervously smiling at me. I nodded and hurried to join him.

We walked into the kitchen and I was met with the sight of a new set of people hugging and slipping off their heavy coats. Whispers of 'where do I put the gifts?' and 'is there anything I can do?' filled the air.

It seemed as if they all came in at once. I didn't realize Roxas had such a big family.

"Roxie!" My thoughts were cut off by a girlish scream. I looked down to see a little girl dressed in a light blue dress and white tights run towards Roxas. She had golden blonde hair and bright blue eyes, like most of the Nabradia family, so I've noticed.

"Alice!" Well, I didn't see that coming. "You've gotten so big!" Roxas' voice rung out as he knelt down to catch the little girl in his arms.

"Roxie, I missed you!" Her muffled voice was barely heard. Roxas put her at arm's length to look at her again.

"I'm sorry." He muttered. Who knew such a little girl could break his heart open in seconds. It took me months.

"Ari, come here." She turned and gestured to another little girl that was hanging onto her father's pant leg. This little girl had very light blonde hair and grey eyes. She was wearing black leggings, a red skirt covered in little presents, and a red long sleeve sweater.

"Ari?" Roxas raised an eyebrow.

"You never met her, did you, Roxie?" I noticed Roxas' eyes downcast. He looked up at me.

"I missed so much." He whispered so only I could hear him. I knelt down next to him and placed my hand on his shoulder once more.

"They really love you." He smiled.

"Alice, this is my friend Naminé. Nam, this is my little cousin."

"Hi, Nami!" She greeted.

"Hi." I smiled back; there wasn't much for me to say. The little girl called Ari appeared next to her the next second, so it didn't matter much anyways.

"This is Roxie, Ari. He's really cool." Alice held onto her little sister's shoulders from behind. It made me think of my own big sister. I missed her.

"Hey, sweetie." Roxas said, smiling at the little blonde.

"Roxie!" She immediately giggled and latched her arms around Roxas' neck.

It was nice seeing Roxas with his family.

The next couple hours went by quickly. I was introduced to all of Roxas' family and they all seemed to like me. That was good, I was worried I'd come off unwanted. The food was really amazing as well, major props to Ashe for doing this every year. The little girls never seemed to leave Roxas alone the entire time. And now that we were sitting in the living room visiting and they wouldn't leave his side made me think of what a good father he would later become. I couldn't help but smile to myself at the thought. We were so young; it seemed like such a far off thing. _Not that I would be the mother in that relationship. Oh, Naminé, stop thinking like that. I thought you were done with this._

"Hey, you're sitting on my DS." A voice belonging to a little boy brought me back to reality. Why was I always spacing out?

"Oh, Sorry." I moved to the other side of the chair-and-a-half. I hadn't seen him earlier, and if I had, I must not remember. But how could I miss this.

The little boy that was getting his DS out of the cushion looked exactly like Roxas. I was still overwhelmed by the Nabradia genes. He had the same spiky hair, but white blonde, almost like my own. His eyes were grey and he had naturally tanned skin. It was weird how much they all looked alike.

He took a seat next to me on the seat and I must have been caught staring because I soon felt a hand on my shoulder.

[_Roxas' _**POV**:]

I was in the middle of telling a story to Alice and Ari when I noticed my other little cousin, Derek, walk into the room. And like most nine year old boys, he was intent on playing his new DS all day. I watched as he asked Naminé something causing her to move, and he taking a spot next to her. She looked really surprised for some reason. It took me a few moments to realize it was because of the looks. I forgot how my friends used to be surprised at how much my family looked alike. It was the hair that did it this time.

I decided now was a good time to talk to her once more. Though part of me just wanted to watch her. She looked so right talking to my family and it wasn't just the light blonde hair. _Wait, Roxas, that sounded weird. Just shut up._

And so I got up from my seat on the floor and went over to Naminé. I placed a hand on her shoulder to snap her out of it and made her get up so I could sit where she was. Then I pulled her down by her waist to let her sit on my lap.

"You're so weird." She whispered to me, a blush evident on her face.

"No." I pouted, burying my head in her hair. _What was I doing? This whole Naminé thing was getting to me. I couldn't seem to ignore it anymore. But what went down last night isn't letting me move forward. But what was holding me back from being the old me again? I was so close… I really just needed to man up and tell her already. Tell her everything._

[_Naminé's _**POV**:]

More hours flew by and before I knew it, we were saying good-bye to all of Roxas' family.

"Naminé." I turned to see Roxas looking at me. He looked sad all of a sudden.

I raised an eyebrow. He just turned and walked towards his room. I shot a confused look to Ven, whom was the only other one in the living room, before following him.

"Yes?" I responded once we were both in his room. I closed the door behind me and walked over to his bed to take a seat. He was acting really distant all of a sudden.

"Umm…" There was an awkward silence. It felt like he was going to explain what he left off last night. I gulped, was I really about to find out everything? "P-Pence and Hayner want to have coffee tomorrow. Is that cool with you?" That was such a lie. Well, saying something completely different then what he was going to was.

"Oh." I let out a breath. "Yea, it's fine." I gave him a sleepy smile to reassure him.

"Okay. Well, I don't know about you, but I'm beat. Must be why I'm acting stupid, eh?" He let out a forced laugh. "Night, princess." My latest nickname made an appearance as I watched him leave the room.

Once Roxas left, I wasted no time in changing into my new nightgown. I looked into Roxas' full length mirror, swaying slightly. It was so beautiful.

I eventually found myself lying comfortably in Roxas' bed, listening to his soft breathing from across the room. _Today was the strangest Christmas I've ever had. This year in general was just weird. Roxas finally opened up to me and I end up acting like a complete freak in response. But I can't help he was acting far-off last night then ridiculously close today. Not to mention all that extra drama and mystery I've yet to find out about. But maybe when I do then we can go back to normal. I just want to be with Roxas as my friend and leave it at that. My life has gotten way too complicated and I just can't handle it, it's just too much to wrap my head around. _

_I hope tomorrow's coffee with Pence and Hayner clear the air. Then Roxas can tell me the source of all this and we'll be fine. _

_Kairi agrees with me too, I had managed to call her while Roxas was changing. _Kairi! That's it! I knew I was forgetting something… I forgot to open her present.

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Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts nor American Eagle Outfitters.

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Sorry this took so long! Really I am. I'm just so freaking busy with cheerleading I can never ever write ever. And when I do it's just little oneshots (that I hope you've been enjoying). But I'm just not happy with it. I feel like I've neglected this story for so long that when I do write, it's just a big heap of jumbled up words that have no relevance to the plot. But it happens I guess. The good news is that I've marked out the rest of the story. It's shorted than originally planned, but this way they chapters will be better quality. There's about 6 left, I think, including an epilogue. But who knows what I'll end up doing, there may be more. I just want them to get together already! If Roxas wasn't so emotionally scarred this wouldn't be so hard. And Namine's just as oblivious as he is. Oh, why did I write them both so stubborn?

But I'll be happy to tell you Kairi will be back soon so it's not just those two being idiots all the time. And I'm sorry I left it off, but if I kept going then this chapter would've been annoyingly long. Plus we all know Kairi got her something really expensive and not plot relevant so it shouldn't even matter to you. I'll probably include it in the beginning of next chapter, so watch for that. And the huge secret will be let out of the bag! I think. Soon. Maybe. Hopefully. You'll have to read and find out.

I didn't have this chapter edited by **GoldenSnitch07 **this time because it took me so long to write this I didn't want to waste any more time. I also didn't want to harrass her about it.

This chapter shout-out goes to **xionrules76321 **for reviewing and just making me smile in general. Also to everyone who's still reading this story and just discovering it. You guys rock and keep me going! Seriously, I would've stopped writing it long ago if it wasn't for all your positive reviews. I'm determined to finish to all you cool kids out there. Yea, you :)

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_Please review. No flames please :)_


	24. December 26th

_B a r e l y _**Legal**

[_Roxas' _**POV**:]

I slowly took another sip of my morning coffee, hoping it had cooled down since my last failed attempt. "Mmm…" Yep, it did. And it was amazing.

Now that my coffee was perfect I switched my attention to the small television in the kitchen. My mom had on some early morning talk show. Currently they were prattling on about pet owners and how much they resembled their pet. I rolled my eyes and returned my attention to my coffee.

Ten minutes later, I was staring at the bottom of an empty cup. I guess I was drinking fast. Maybe I was nervous about today. The other night wasn't exactly the ideal grand reunion I had expected with my friends to be like so I knew today wasn't going to be any easier. At least now I'd have Naminé by my side. She's been through so much with me I feel like I'm using her for my own personal gain. But she insists she's my friend and her behavior's normal. I can't seem to shake an unknown feeling when I think about her though.

"Good morning." I looked up to see said blonde leaning on the edge of the island a few feet away from me.

"Morning." I smiled in return, getting up to put my dirty mug in the sink. "You look nice." I said over my shoulder whilst filling it up with hot water.

"Oh, thanks." Why was she always surprised when I complimented her? Of course she looked nice. She was Naminé. She always did. Today she was wearing dark jeans, a red sweater, and a gray undershirt. I'm sure there was more thought in the outfit than I let on, but I guess it really didn't matter. Like I said, she always looks nice.

"You too." She breathed out as an afterthought. I didn't think jeans and a gray long-sleeve shirt was that big of a deal, but I thanked her anyways.

And that's when it got quiet.

A few moments went past and I found my way back to sitting at the kitchen table with Naminé sitting opposite me.

"So Kairi got me a Christmas present." She broke the silence in an awkward, rushed voice.

"Oh, really?" I raised an eyebrow, giving her my full attention.

"A spa trip. Back in the city. A weekend of my choice to be pampered till I dissolve in the mineral bath." She spoke in choppy sentences, but I could tell she was happy about it. Knowing Kairi, the spa had to be one of the five-star ones that you only see celebrities going into. She opened her mouth to begin talking again then quickly closed it. I was going to ask about it when my mother came walking back into the kitchen with Ven in tow.

"Oh, good morning, Naminé, dear. Want something to eat?" She asked before beginning to root through the fridge.

"I'm fine actually. Roxas and I were going out to lunch soon anyways." She explained, glancing at me for confirmation. I hadn't realized that we'd be leaving in just an hour's time. We must have really slept in. Which is probably a good thing because from what I remember, I was being really immature yesterday.

"Oh, that's nice. Ven said he and Aqua were heading into town later as well. Raslar and I will be here all day if you need anything."

Small talk ensued for another boring hour. Sometime during this amount of time, Ven and Aqua joined us at the table and Mira wondered in to be petted by everyone. She must have missed the love since she was in the basement all day yesterday since a few of my cousins are allergic.

"Well, Naminé, we should be going." I glanced at my phone to see it was nearing time for us to start into town. I got up and retrieved our coats, putting mine on and then helping Naminé easily slide into hers.

"See ya later, guys." Naminé bid everyone goodbye and we headed out the door.

I could tell the ride to the diner was going to be equally as quiet as earlier so I began telling Naminé about where it was we were going.

"We used to go there all the time back in high school. It's one of those restaurants that every small town has that everyone that works there knows your name and your usual. Hayner, Pence," I took a small pause, "and I used to go there almost every day back then."

"Does Hayner hate me?" The sudden question caught me off guard. I took a breath to find an appropriate answer before letting it out and placing my hand on hers.

"He doesn't hate you. It's just that a lot of stuff happened between us back then and he's a little hard to forgive. But he did agree to meet up with us today so I see him beginning to warm up to me." I continued on. I was dangerously close to blurting out everything that happened back then. I couldn't tell if I was quite ready though. I wanted to wait till tonight to explain everything. I've been keeping a huge part of my past from her; it almost hurts when she asks about it. "I was gone for so long I thought he wouldn't want to see me again." I felt a gentle squeeze on my hand.

"It's okay. You'll all be friends again before you know it. And I know you were going to tell me what happened Christmas Eve." I gripped the steering wheel tighter with my left hand. How did she know that was who I was talking about? Then again, I've probably left an entire trail of breadcrumbs on this whole situation. It's a surprise she didn't figure out exactly what happened yet. "But you can wait. Maybe tonight we can talk about it, huh?" And now she's reading _my_ mind.

"Yea… thanks, Naminé. I know I've been acting weird this week, but don't worry. After today we can talk about it. I'll make sure my mom doesn't interrupt this time."

About ten minutes later we were parked and walking into the restaurant. It didn't take me long to spot Pence and Hayner in our usual booth near the back.

[_Naminé's _**POV**:]

The small diner was exactly how you'd imagine one of those hometown restaurants in the movies. It was long with booths lining the right wall and a few wooden tables going down the middle. Two smaller tables sat in front of the windows with barstools paired with them. The counter itself was long and ran the length of the left wall, barstools along that as well, with swinging doors leading to a kitchen at the back. The wood panels and country living apple decorations made it very homey. To tell the truth, I didn't expect Twilight Town to be a very small town type place considering its allover architecture, but I guess you couldn't judge a book by its cover.

Roxas immediately spotted Hayner and Pence sitting in the back booth. They were awkwardly sitting side by side as they waited for us to take the seats opposite them. But part of me knew this was always the arrangement they sat in when they were kids, especially since Roxas waited for me to sit on the inside of the booth instead of scooting in himself.

"Hi, Naminé." Pence greeted happily.

"Hey, Pence." I extended my hand to shake his. I just received a curt nod from Hayner. I guess he got over that parking lot incident on Christmas Eve and got right back to being distant towards me.

Roxas greeted his old friends right after me and was about to say something else when the waitress appeared to take our orders.

"Roxas! It's so great to see you back here. And I see you've got a pretty girl with you, aren't you lucky?" I merely blushed and smiled. She continued with the small talk with Roxas before departing with our orders.

There was silence for a few moments before Roxas began talking again. "Are you really over what happened?"

"Yea, I guess so. I can't let it affect as much as it did Seifer." Hayner replied without any humor in his voice. "I just think it's not _all_ your fault anymore."

"I never go a day without thinking about it. And now I can't go a day without thinking about how I just ran away like a little kid. I know I can't blame myself, I've been over that for a while, I just need to own up to what I actually did. I left all of you guys when if I'd just stayed then we'd still be best friends and Seifer probably wouldn't still have a grudge."

"Seifer's over it now, I can tell you that." Pence laughed. It seemed as if they all knew what he was talking about. Maybe it had to do with that rich couple at the Christmas Eve dinner. "Roxas, we respect that you came back, but really man, we're still your best friends." He smiled which caused Roxas to smile as well.

"Hayner?"

"Yea, man, we're still here for you." He gave Roxas a lopsided smile. "It's just gonna take some time, you know that?"

"Yea, I know."

The rest of lunch went by pretty fast. It took awhile for Hayner to not stare at me like I didn't belong and actually include me in conversation, but he did. They even asked me about my life. I can't believe that I actually enjoyed myself. And with the encouragement from his friends, I knew Roxas would be able to get over what happened in his past and live life properly instead of just ignoring it or letting it make him feel guilty.

Let's just say I couldn't wait till tonight.

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Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Burberry or any other reference that's in here.

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I know I haven't updated in.. like a year it seems. I'm sorry and I'm not even gonna rant on in this author's note. I'm just sorry guys! This was written way back actually, so I'm still not sure on what's going to happen next so guess who has a lot of re-reading to do? This girl! But I can assure you, I will at least TRY to wrap this story up nicely. I've given up long enough. I just hope you've enjoyed the random oneshots since. And next chapter I can get back into writing and it not suck..

P.S. I'm thinking about doing a "My Heart" rewrite! It's in progress and I won't post till it's finished, but at least you know I haven't forgotton! But I ask a little favor of you: when you review (if you review) I'd appreciate a really BA title since "My Heart" is soooo eighth grade. Wow, I'm think I did start that story back in junior high and here I am going to be a senior... Wow... You guys must be getting old :P Just kidding! Love you!

Well, I lied. I just ranted. A lot

I dedicate this story to **EVERYONE AND ANYONE** that's still reading this! **I LOVE YOU!** :) And also to **GoldenSnitch07**, I know we're not as close as we used to be, but this story is still ours and I'm not giving up on it. Thanks, kid.

P.S.S. You're really awesome, **startscribbling12 **:) ((aaannnddd you're extra cool, **chibixbabe**))

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_Please review. No flames please :) I know I'm a bad kid already..._


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